Columbia County Sheriff Brian Pixley is reacting to the rejection of a jail levy Tuesday, May 21, saying he will give the levy another go at November’s general election.
The measure aimed to provide a new and higher tax to fund jail operations. The latest numbers Thursday morning, May 23, show the levy being defeated 64% to 36%.
“I am very disappointed by the outcome of the jail levy," Pixley told Pamplin Media Group. "The levy’s funds are a necessary part of continuing jail operations, so we will ask voters to reconsider passing the levy again in November.”
Voters were asked to raise property taxes 29 cents per $1,000 assessed property value — to 87 cents per $1,000 — to account for increased jail operating costs. Columbia County voters gave a stamp of approval to a similar levy in 2014 and voted twice to renew the levy at its current rate in 2017 and 2020.
Pixley said that the levy ask would likely be the same in November, "unless we can come up with additional funding."
“The levy’s funding subsidizes most of the operations that take place at the Columbia County Jail, not only staffing but also constitutionally required services like medical services and food for those incarcerated," Pixley said.
The county says that costs to operate the jail have increased since the jail levy was last renewed.
“The county’s general fund is unable to provide the necessary funding to continue housing people who have been arrested for violating the law,” Pixley said. “Without this levy renewal, we will not have the funding to continue operating the jail in the same capacity.”
The sheriff noted that, as with prices everywhere, “prices have been going up for the Columbia County Jail. Our medical contract alone has more than doubled over the past four years and the costs for both personnel and food services have increased as well.”
Pamplin Media Group reported in a story in early March that in the last four years, jail medical costs have more than doubled from about $630,000 in the 2019-20 fiscal year to $1.5 million this fiscal year.
Pixley continued, “In addition, there are capital improvement projects, such as roof repairs, that must be funded.”
There are three primary funding sources for the Columbia County jail. These are the county’s general fund, revenue from the existing levy and bed rentals by the U.S. Marshal’s Service to house federal prisoners. The jail accepts federal prisoners, and the costs to house those individuals are reimbursed by the federal government.
In related election news, latest numbers Thursday morning, May 23, show the St. Helens 5-year local option police levy is likely to fail (57.1% against) and the renewal of a levy for the Columbia 911 district is still up in the air (51.2% for, 48.8% against).
Additionally, Columbia County Board of Commissioner candidates Margaret Magruder and Alex Tardif are likely to see a runoff election in November .
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