JACKSON, Mich — On August 6, Jackson County voters determined whether or not a new jail was in Jackson's future. After results came in, the millage failed 12,049 to 12,886 (48.3% yes and 51.7% no).
Find Mid-Michigan election results here.
Voters rejected a .90 millage rate, that would cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $45 per year. This is not the first time voters have rejected a millage to fund restorations at the Jackson County Jail. In 2022, voters rejected a 1.0 millage in the election.
If passed, the 2024 public safety millage would have funded a new jail to be built at the Chanter Road facility, helping solve issues of overcrowding, sanitation, and public safety.
WATCH AUGUST 6 COVERAGE:
Now, Sheriff Gary Schuette is sharing what's next.
"We had a meeting earlier this morning with that staff, and I've communicated out to all of our deputies that we're resilient, that this problem isn't going away, and that we're okay," shares Schuette.
Moving forward from the election, Schuette says, "The concerns are the same. This place hasn't changed. It won't change until we're able to do something."
"This was not a huge millage. This was not a big request. There was a lot of misinformation out there that this was going to add thousands and thousands of dollars to people's tax bill. That simply is not the case."
Schuette explains that the failure of the millage will not only prohibit the build of a new jail, but will impact operation costs. "There will be cuts," he says. "This will have a negative impact, as well. I don't think folks understood that 100%, either. That's something we could've done a better job with. Despite all of our efforts, we didn't reach all of that."
Schuette says he expects budgetary changes at the start of the fiscal year, January 1.
"As far as what we do next with the County jail, we're going to explore several options. There are a lot of things I have in mind, but really, anything is on the table," says Schuette. Next steps will be determined by the county commissioners, but for now, Schutte is telling his department to keep their heads held high. "We're the cops. We're used to adversity. We're used to things not working the first time, and we're used to continuing to make sure we're doing the right thing."
Follow FOX 47 News for updates to see what's next for Jackson County.
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