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The Corvallis League of Women Voters hosted representatives from Benton County and other community organizations, March 14, for an educational forum about the County’s facilities bond measure that will be on the May 2023 ballot. More than 50 community members were in attendance.
Commissioner Xan Augerot and Sheriff Jef Van Arsdall provided a brief presentation detailing components of the Justice System Improvement Program and proposed measure 2-140, which would fund community safety, mental health, and homelessness services facilities in Benton County.
“The planning process started in 2018 with a comprehensive assessment of the entire justice system. Some of the recommendations have been implemented with existing County funds or other state and federal funding and are not part of the bond measure,” said Augerot. “Those facilities include the downtown mental health crisis center and the new courthouse and District Attorney’s offices to be located on the new community safety and justice campus.”
The proposed facilities selected for inclusion in the bond were determined through a multi-year, community-involved planning process. If passed, Measure 2-140 would fund the following projects:
- A co-located Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Operations Center to improve coordination during major events and natural disasters, and to improve emergency response.
- A new correctional facility with increased capacity (up to 120 beds) and dedicated areas to provide mental health and addiction services.
- Expanded and redesigned spaces for the Children and Family Program mental health services for youth and families.
- Funding for homelessness services facilities, with a preferred option of a homelessness services housing and navigation center, in partnership with Corvallis Daytime Drop-in Center, to help people build pathways out of homelessness.
Estimated costs for proposed bond projects total $110 million:
| Correctional facility | $64.3 M |
| Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Operations Center | $40.4 M |
| Expanded Youth Mental Health Facilities | $1.5 M |
| Funding for Homelessness Navigation Center | $3 M |
| Bond issuance costs | $800,000 |
Commissioner Augerot outlined details of the proposed facilities and shared that if the bond measure passes, the bond levy rate would be an estimated $0.55 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The cost would be an estimated $142 per year for a Benton County home with a median tax-assessed value of $258,596. The actual levy rate may differ due to changes in interest rates and assessed value. If the bond does not pass, the proposed facilities would not be built, and property taxes would not increase.
In addition to Commissioner Augerot and Sheriff Van Arsdall, speakers included Laura Hennum, CEO of Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center and Allison Hobgood, Executive Director of the Corvallis Daytime Drop-in Center, who spoke about the challenges in mental health crisis services and providing resources for those experiencing homelessness in Benton County. Panelists for the question-and-answer period included the speakers and Benton County Chief Financial Officer Rick Crager and Deputy Director of Benton County Behavioral Health Department, Damien Sands.
“The panel was amazing and really brought out the connectedness of all the services of Benton County and other providers. The League of Women Voters of Corvallis was pleased to have a panel of experts who could explain what is included in the bond measure as well as answer questions from an engaged audience,” said LWV board member and event coordinator Sara Ingle.
To learn more about the bond measure, visit www.bentoncountyjustice.org.
