Ballot issue for treatment facility defeated Nov. 4

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

Ballot Issue 1-A, which would have provided funds for a local detox center and acute mental health treatment facility, went down in defeat on Nov. 4 by a wide margin, 62 to 38 percent.

The only local money-related issue on the ballot, 1-A asked voters to approve a 0.25 percent sales tax to build and operate the treatment facilities.

Many of I-A's supporters do not want to see the project die, however.

"So many people want it to happen," said Gary Darling, Larimer County's criminal justice planning manager. He participated in a group called Alternatives to Incarceration that developed the proposal for the ballot issue.

Darling said one possibility being discussed is to bring the treatment center issue back to voters next year in combination with a proposal for funding jail operations.

Kathy Snell, director of Larimer County's Health and Human Services Department and chair of Alternatives to Incarceration, noted that proponents of the treatment facility will have to wait for direction from the county commissioners. Two new commissioners, State Sen. Steve Johnson and Larimer County Surveyor Tom Donnelly, will join veteran Kathay Rennels on the county commission on Jan. 13.

Darling attributed the loss to two major factors--lack of time and the poor economy.

The county commissioners approved the ballot issue in July, and a citizens' committee called Bridge the Gap was formed to promote the project. The group had to raise money first, and by the time they had enough funds to order materials such as yard signs, many voters had already received their mail-in ballots.

Then the economy tanked, a big hurdle for any money-related ballot issue.

Cheryl Olson, co-chair of Bridge the Gap, agreed that there was insufficient time to get the message out about the proposal. She said many who served on the citizens' committee would be willing to try again, however. "The need in Larimer County is critical and isn't going to go away," she said.

Darling said that when he talked to community groups before the Nov. 4 election, feedback for the ballot proposal was positive.

"I think many people realize it's something we have to do if we're going to stop expanding the jail," he said. "It's far cheaper on the front door than the back door."

A primary argument in favor of 1-A was that mental health and substance abuse treatment could reduce recidivism at the Larimer County Detention Center by offering comprehensive treatment instead of incarceration. A reduction in the number of repeat offenders could in turn delay the need for jail expansion.

The treatment facilities would not have been just for inmates, however; the plan was to have them available to the general public.

Randy Ratliff, director of the Larimer Center for Mental Health and a member of Alternatives to Incarceration, said he was "gratified by the level of support for the initiative" given the challenging economic times. He said he will continue to work for local services to help those who cannot pay for treatment of mental health and substance abuse problems.

"We can't wait for state or federal governments," Ratliff said; solutions will have to be local. Pressure on safety-net programs will be even greater during the current economic downturn, he noted, since many who need treatment have lost their jobs and insurance coverage.

Sheriff Jim Alderden opposed Issue 1-A, saying the plan was too expensive, but none of the proponents interviewed thought his stance was an important factor in the ballot issue's defeat.