SPOKANE, Wash — Spokane County's Measure 1, billed as a law and justice proposal, would increase sales tax by .2%. If approved, the county would use its portion to, in part, expand the downtown jail. Geiger Corrections Center would close and inmates would be moved into the new jail building.
KREM 2 News spent time a week before the election asking voters their thoughts on the idea.
Many people, including Joseph Fritz, say they can't make a decision without more research.
"I'd really try to look into exactly where the money is going, who the people in charge of it would be and what they'd historically been known for doing," Fritz said.
Most of the people KREM 2 News approached about the measure Tuesday said they either didn't know enough about Measure 1 to discuss it, or said they didn't know anything about it.
Though for Fritz, the gut feeling is to vote down the effort.
"I think usually helping people stay out of jail and better social problems to help people would be a better use of funding," Fritz said.
Fritz wants to see more programs geared toward affordable housing and drug rehabilitation.
"I know a lot of people are on the streets because of drug addictions and otherwise they wouldn't be there," Fritz said.
According to the Measure 1 website, the sales tax revenue to the county would also be used for expanded programming, such as inmate treatment programs, skills training, behavioral health, release services, and therapeutic case management.
Spokane County voter Michael said he hadn't seen anything about Measure 1 yet, but also had a gut reaction to the idea. He wants to see change on Spokane's streets.
"If it's gonna help out with making it bigger and getting criminals off the streets then yeah, I'd definitely support it," he said.
Michael knows the impact of crime firsthand.
"About three years ago I was stabbed downtown," he said. "With a punctured lung and everything like that."
He called it a random attack, which did end with the offender going to prison. Though he feels now, with reported jail overcrowding, many people who are arrested never get that far.
"Oh yeah, definitely yeah. I feel if it happened nowadays he would've gotten a slap on the wrist and let go," Michael said.
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