Dear Editor:
There is a Lincoln County Special Election on July 13th and Proposition No. 2 on the ballot calls for incurring a 30-year debt to build a new, larger Lincoln County Jail. On June 21st, I attended a public meeting at the Courthouse hosted by the Lincoln County Sheriff and the Lincoln County Commissioners to discuss this proposition. The Sheriff started the meeting by outlining the need for the proposition:
1. Current jail has 100 or more prisoners on any given day and only has a capacity for 80.
2. Current jail is in need of numerous repairs.
The Sheriff explained that the jail would hold 151 inmates with 50 of these earmarked for federal prisoners who would generate $64 per day each in income to the Sheriff’s department. If this plan works, the new jail would not provide additional room for Lincoln County Inmates if our volumes should grow beyond 101 (see above).
That fact combined with the proposed location is of serious concern:
• The rendering of the proposed jail shows it located on County-owned vacant property on the SW corner of W. 9th and Steele in Chandler, across the street from the Post Office and the Methodist Church, immediately north of a vacant lot owned by the City of Chandler. A City Councilperson at the meeting stated that the City’s lot is not for sale.
• The location is next door to two historical homes that are both owner occupied. The Sheriff stated that the County would offer to buy these homes.
• The Sheriff also stated there are other potential locations not in residential areas.
Since the proposed new jail will not give us more room for Lincoln County prisoners, what happens when the new jail needs to expand? Will the City change its mind and sell the lot? If so, will the County be the highest bidder? Will the Sheriff buy more homes in the neighborhood? Will the homes be torn down?
In Chandler our historical homes are treasured by residents and admired by visitors. The two homes that would be purchased by the Sheriff are not only important to our past, but they are well-loved in the present and, I have confirmed, the families who live in them would like to stay in them for the future.
While not trying to influence the vote, I am asking that we not support the proposed location which would assuredly displace current residents and put historic homes at risk of demolition. Further, since the proposed location gives us nowhere to grow, we put additional families and homes in this cherished neighborhood at future risk. Let’s insist on an alternative.
Respectfully,
Kim Edwards Huffman
Historic Silk Stocking Row
Chandler