County-Wide Sales Tax Election

 Caddo County residents will have the opportunity to vote on a 3/4 of one cent county sales tax to fund renovation, construction and operation of a new county jail, courthouse improvements, county roads and bridge improve¬ments and a new 911 emergency call center.  By Law, the county commissioners must provide, at county expense, a jail or rent space for prisoners.  The present jail is 50 years old and the addition of the jail is 25 years old. • 28 new jails have been built in the last ten years in Oklahoma and at least 8 are in the planning or construction stages. • An independent study has been conducted to determine the needs for Caddo County. • According to Don Garrison, State Jail Inspector, fines may be imposed against the county and the jail ultimately closed if jail standards are not met. • The sales tax would also provide funds for roads and bridges for five years. • Continuing to operate as is the county will be required to rent jail space will bring about a greater cost than our existing budget can meet. The additional costs of renting jail space and maintaining the existing jail could be assessed by additional ad valorem taxes.