SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — A $507 million bond put before voters to help Salt Lake County deal with homelessness, substance abuse, mental health and other public safety needs looks like it will come up short.
As of noon Wednesday, with 909 out of 979 precincts reporting, the bond faced 50.68% opposition at the ballot box compared to 49.32% who were for the measure.
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Backed by Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, the bond would have combined the county's two jails into one and built a new location for lower-level offenders that included increased bed space, modernized mental health facilities and a transitional unit for those about to be released.
Those who supported the bond claimed that the county's Oxbox Jail was near the end of its usefulness, and that its lifespan could only be increased by up to 15 years with a $90 million investment. Wilson claimed the sale of the Oxbow site could earn the county up to $20 million.
"This is about preserving the community we love and making sure that our family members and our community, our neighbors and friends who are suffering and interfacing with the criminal justice system have better outcomes," Mayor Wilson said in August.
The bond would have added $58.94 onto the property tax bill of the average Salt Lake County home valued at around $602,000.
