Public safety millage fails for second time in Jackson County

JACKSON COUNTY, MI – Not enough voters were on board with funding public safety and updates to Jackson County’s jails, despite a detailed educational campaign to get the word out about jail conditions.

The Jackson County public safety millage failed for the second time Tuesday, Aug. 6, losing by 836 votes with voters divided at 12,049 for and 12,886 against.

The millage, revised and reduced since voters rejected it in 2022, called for 0.9 mills for 20 years to provide funding for public safety services and remodeling and upgrading the Chanter Road jail in Blackman Township. The 1-mill tax increase in 2022 was turned down 35,923 to 25,018.

Without the millage, the sheriff’s office must operate on a sizably lower budget, while continuing to maintain and operate the aging jail at 212 W. Wesley St in downtown Jackson, Jackson County Sheriff Gary Schuette said




https://www.mlive.com/politics/2024/08/public-safety-millage-fails-for-second-time-in-jackson-county.html