OKLAHOMA COUNTY, Okla. (KOKH) — Oklahoma County and Oklahoma City are at odds over a new jail and behavioral health facility, which ultimately led to litigation and failed mediation.
If a last-minute agreement is not reached, millions of dollars in ARPA funds earmarked for behavioral health facilities could have to be spent on other projects.
The Oklahoma City Council has not approved the permits needed for construction at 1901 E Grand Boulevard.
If the city doesn’t change its mind by Jan. 1, it won’t be able to spend $40 million on behavioral health facilities.
Oklahoma County Commissioner Miles Davidson said the money could help people in his district.
“I know I’ve been talking to people in my community for quite some time about their needs, but at the time we didn’t have the money. Now, what does this mean for people in my community? That means many of those needs will be met,” he said.
Davidson listed several possible uses, including after-school programs and a new YMCA.
“These are great things that we can do within the City of Edmond and District 3. We need a new fire station for the Luther Fire Department. Our firefighters can’t actually sleep in the current fire station,” Davidson said. Ta. “Deer Creek, its expansion requires a new fire station. Outpatient services that commissioners are currently responsible for in unincorporated areas. These are all things that this money could be used for.”
Hopes that $40 million would be spent on behavioral health facilities began to fade Thursday afternoon after mediation failed.
“No doubt it will have a lot of positive outcomes, but I think we probably would have had better outcomes if the partners had come together,” Davidson said.
“I was still trying to hang in there because this is best practice. And I agree with Commissioner Davidson that there’s a lot that could have been done, but I don’t think anything outweighed the good.”Prison Action If it had been in a care center, that would have been the case,” Commissioner Brian Maughan said.
There will be a city council meeting on Tuesday morning. If discussion about behavioral health facilities comes up on Monday’s scheduled agenda, $40 million could still be used for the facilities.
