Lane County voters have renewed a levy that supports operations at the Lane County jail.
As of Tuesday evening, the measure was passing by a wide margin, with nearly 80 percent of the vote in favor of it.
This is the third time the levy has been renewed. One of the selling points was that renewing the levy would not increase the tax rate for Lane County property owners. It adds up to about $118 per year for the typical household.
The levy funds beds at the jail as well as services for juvenile offenders.
A spokesperson for the Lane County Sheriff's Office, which operates the facility, could not be reached Tuesday evening.
During an April forum at the City Club of Eugene, Lane County Sheriff Cliff Harrold cautioned that if the levy failed, it would mean significant cuts to his department’s ability to house inmates.
“It has the potential to impact delivery of other county services as well," said Harrold. "The commissioners would have to have a conversation about how to reconfigure and prioritize the limited general fund budget.”
The levy did have opposition from a group called "Healing Not Handcuffs," which wanted the county to dedicate more money to what it called community-based mental health and restorative justice programs. A spokesperson for the group told KLCC Tuesday evening that it was clear the outcome of the vote was not what they had hoped for.
