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The Oklahoma County Detention Center
The Board of County Commissioners voted to place a bond issue on the June 28th ballot this month. If passed, the bond will be $260 million to construct a new detention center that will include on-site mental health and court facilities. You can find the full text of the resolution, which includes the ballot language, here.
Because some of the County's existing bonds are expiring, this new bond will not increase taxes when averaged over the bond's life.
I voted yes on this item because I believe the Oklahoma County Detention Center is the most serious issue facing our county. I sincerely hope that our legislature, judges, law enforcement officers, and district attorneys will continue to reform their practices and reduce the number of people we are incarcerating. In the meantime, I am committed to working towards a safe environment for the people detained and working in the Oklahoma County jail. The current building makes it very difficult to do that effectively or affordably.
I committed to Oklahoma County voters to do my best to address the issue of the Oklahoma County jail. I believe this is the best solution available to us at this time.
Oklahoma County's ARPA Funding
Oklahoma County was awarded $154 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. All funds must be allocated by 2024 and spent by 2026.
At this time, the Oklahoma County Board of County Commissioners has not taken any action to allocate ARPA funding. The Oklahoma County Board of County Commissioners has approved a contract with Accenture to provide federal reporting, strategic planning, and implementation services for ARPA funds.
I recently met with the team from Accenture to discuss my goals for ARPA funding.
The most significant community needs I see are:
affordable housing
workforce training
mental health care
small business and nonprofit support
infrastructure
I will continue to advocate for these needs and am excited to begin distributing funds. Right now, Accenture is meeting with County Directors and staff to assess our current needs.
You can find the current guidelines for ARPA funding from the U.S. Treasury Department here.
Child Abuse Prevention Month
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. In the last fiscal year there were over 1,400 cases of child abuse or neglect in Oklahoma County involving more than 2,700 children. Oklahoma is ranked number one in the country for individuals with more than two adverse childhood experiences. Research also shows that parents and caregivers who have social networks and the know-how to seek help in times of trouble are more resilient and better able to provide safe environments and nurturing experiences for their children
I was proud to partner with the organizations leading the charge on child abuse prevention in Oklahoma County to recognize this month. Pictured are representatives from CASA of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma Human Services, Sunbeam Family Services, Citizens Caring for Children, and the CARE Center. You can find the full text of our resolution here.
I also got to participate in the CARE Center's paint the town blue campaign with a delicious Hurts Doughnut and a snow cone from Sasquatch Shaved Ice.
We can all help prevent child abuse by making sure the parents in our community have the resources they need to care for their children appropriately and making sure the children in our lives have safe adults to come to when they need help. You can report suspected cases of abuse and neglect by calling 1-800-522-3511.
Second Chance Month
April is also Second Chance Month! Seventy million Americans have a criminal record, over 19,000 Oklahomans are incarcerated, and 23,000 Oklahomans are on probation or parole.
Individuals involved in the criminal legal system often struggle to find housing, employment, or education, regain voting rights, volunteer in their community, and pay for the significant debt resulting from their contact with the criminal legal system. These barriers can contribute to recidivism, increasing victimization, and decreasing public safety.
We partnered with the Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Advisory Council, Goodwill, Center for Employment Opportunities, ReMerge, OKC Metro Alliance, STAAR Foundation, and MetroTech to recognize Second Chance Month. You can find the full text of our resolution here.
If you're interested in learning more about Fair Chance employment, you can find the Greater OKC & CJAC Fair Chance Hiring Toolkit here.
Our community is safer when we give folks the resources to succeed. Everyone deserves a second chance.
Honoring Student-Athletes
Jones Lady Longhorns 3A State Champions - AGAIN!
I was thrilled to invite the Jones High School Girls Basketball team back to recognize them for their second consecutive State Championship. The girls took state last year and were poised to do so in 2020 but did not get the chance to compete because of COVID-19. The Lady Longhorns had a fantastic season winning 24 out of 28 games, and they are positioned for a threepeat with all of their team members returning for next year's season.
Millwood Falcons 3A Boys Champions
We also honored the Millwood High School Boys Basketball team for their 3A Championship this month! This is the 16th State Title for the Falcons, and they are tied with Booker T. Washington for the most State Championships. This season they set a new record for the most number of wins at the state tournament, winning 78% of the time with 72 wins.
Belle Isle Library Grand Re-Opening!
I was thrilled to attend the Belle Isle Library's Grand Re-Opening! This beautiful space is an invaluable resource in our community for people of all ages in all stages of life! If you have not been yet, you should go as soon as possible. You can find all of the fantastic services and resources our library system offers at metrolibrary.org.
I also had a lot of fun doing an Instagram Live with Metro Library this month to discuss the new Belle Isle Library and everything our library system offers. You can watch that here.
Pet of the Month -
Meet Loretta!
After being adopted in February, Loretta has settled in nicely to her new home in District 1. She enjoys watching the birds out of her window, lounging on her favorite records, and attacking her human’s feet when he sleeps in past her breakfast time.
There is no need to renominate pets who have been previously nominated.