Budget & Tax

A new jail is a core function of government. Oklahoma County should fund it.

October 19, 2026

Jonathan Small

Oklahoma County voters will soon be asked to approve a sales-tax increase to fund construction of a new county jail. While this issue may not directly affect those living in other parts of Oklahoma, it shows how fiscally responsible policy applies in practice.

As an Oklahoman working in public policy, my goal is to keep both taxes and regulation at common-sense levels and focus government on core functions. That means my evaluation of this proposed sales tax increase centers on several key questions.

Is public safety a core function? Absolutely. In fact, public safety should be the number one priority of government.

Does Oklahoma County truly need a new jail? Again, the answer is yes. For many years, the current jail has been a problem, and its functional challenges cannot be addressed by simply retrofitting or updating the existing facility, at least not at a cost that would be cheaper than building a new facility.

That brings us to the question that prompts the greatest concern from voters: Is this something that requires a tax increase?

Reality reveals, once again, the answer is yes.

The problems at the chronically dysfunctional jail are so significant that there is a credible chance that the federal government could effectively take it over via court order. Under that scenario, a massive property tax increase would almost certainly be imposed, one that would prove financially crippling for many homeowners and would deter business development in the area.

A higher sales tax would be far preferable to a massive property tax increase. The sales tax increase would be more evenly distributed among county residents and visitors, and it is not going to force anyone out of their home, unlike what could happen with a large property tax increase.

Also, the sales-tax plan leaves Oklahoma County residents firmly in control of local policy. That won’t happen under a court order that gives federal officials de facto control.

We must deal with the world as it exists, not as we wish it to be. Oklahoma County residents are going to face a tax increase to pay for a new jail sooner or later. The real decision is whether we want to adopt a non-destructive tax increase and preserve local control, or whether we roll the dice and hope we avoid the worst-case scenario despite having no real plan to prevent it.

That makes the choice clear: Oklahoma County residents should support a sales-tax increase to build a new jail.