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Juvenile levy may get 3rd try County commissioners consider November vote By Dani Dodge Maybe the third time will be the charm. Monday, Jackson County commissioners expressed support for putting a juvenile center bond levy before the voters, in November ballot. A final decision won�t come before July. "This has been a top priority for us as a board it seems like forever," said County Commissioner Sue Kupillas. "We�ve developed programs for kids that ... change kids� lives and get them out of the system for good. But right now we are trying to do that in portable buildings sitting in the parking lot." "It�s a really pitiful way to treat children in our community." The county has twice tried to pass a bond to upgrade the county�s inadequate juvenile detention facility. Twice, it has failed. The first time, a razor- thin majority defeated the bond; the measure lost by 1 percent. In the second � a 1999 election that required at least a 50 percent turnout � the measure won by 60 percent, but it failed to meet the double-majority test when only 41 percent of the voters bothered to show up at the polls. Commissioners, judges, and county officials discussed the issue one more time Monday. If the bond doesn�t pass this November, officials say, the county could lose out on $4.1 million in matching grants from the federal government. The county will only need a simple majority to pass a levy in November because the double-majority test doesn�t apply in every-other-year general elections. The commissioners will take testimony at a public hearing July 26. Following that hearing, the commissioners will officially put the bond measure on the ballot. On Monday, there was no doubt about their support about asking voters for a new juvenile detention center. Although Commissioner Jack Walker was not at the meeting, Commissioners Kupillas and Ric Holt were solidly behind the plan. "The message is getting out there," Holt said. "Education is the key." The current juvenile center is in the south Gateway commercial area. It was built in 1957 as a 12-bed facility. In 1979, it expanded to 20 beds. The county first floated a bond to expand, update and move the facility closer to the Jackson County Jail in 1998. The $22.5 million bond issue would have built a 60-bed, 67,000-square-foot center. It was to be located on the north side of 10th Street near Oakdale Avenue, next to the Justice Building. The 1998 bond failed by a margin of 500 votes out of more than 50,000 cast. Then in 1999, county officials lowered their expectations and, more importantly, lowered the pricetag. A $16.5 million project was proposed for the same location. Although it had only 40 beds, it concentrated on adding space for classrooms where wayward youths could learn some life skills and not become habitual criminals. County Administrator Sue Slack said architect David Straus is examining the old plans to see whether costs have risen. After the architect makes his determination, the county will know what the center will cost taxpayers. "I think the package we put out last time was right for the community," Slack said. Jackson County presiding Judge Ross Davis said he�d like to believe that the civic pride shown in passing the recent library bond will continue, and benefit the county�s children. "A lot of good things are happening," he noted. "You could say people are stepping up to the plate." Kupillas said it�s imperative to offer the children of Jackson County a better chance � and facility � for steering their lives in a productive direction. She noted the current facility is far too small and "like a dungeon." "This isn�t a discretionary thing," Kupillas said. "We just can�t continue to offer an inadequate facility." Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA