Forum: New Jail Proposal and August 5 Millage Election
This Forum will provide information and an opportunity to ask questions about the upcoming August 5 millage election to support construction of a new jail and county buildings.
Houghton County is considering a proposal for a new jail facility, including potentially building a new jail or renovating/adding to the property recently purchased by the county at 601 Sharon Avenue. The proposal will be presented to voters as a millage request on the August 5 ballot. The new facility would address overcrowding and safety concerns in the current jail, which has a capacity of only 28 inmates. The proposed jail would have a capacity of 70 beds and would be designed for 40 to 50 years of use.
The speaker will be Faith Morrison, co-president of the Copper Country Chapter of the League of Women Voters. Morrison, in collaboration with the Houghton County Commission, has spearheaded a public education campaign to inform voters about the new jail proposal, including tours of the existing jail. She is a professor emeritus in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Michigan Technological University.