Whatcom County jail plan moves forward with $185 million gap in care funding

Whatcom County has moved forward with a design plan that allocates the vast majority of its new justice funds to a jail rather than behavioral health services. The county council approved a budget cap of $205 million for the new jail in August. It approved a separate $20 million budget for a behavioral care center on Division Street. This creates a spending imbalance that contradicts the specific promise made to voters three years ago.

In 2023, residents voted to pass a sales and use tax. The ballot measure explicitly stated the funds would build justice facilities and address the root causes of incarceration. Whatcom County Policy and Communications Specialist Riley Sweeney noted the tax generates approximately $14 million annually. This revenue stream provides the county with about $225 million in total funds. The original initiative promised a 50-50 split between the new jail building and behavioral health services.

The current financial split leaves a large gap between the two intended goals. Heather Flaherty, executive director of the Chuckanut Health Foundation and co-chair of the Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force, expressed concern over the disparity. She has been involved with the project since 2015. Flaherty said the rising construction estimates for the jail made the 50% target difficult to achieve. Her task force is currently working to present pathways to close that gap. A report with findings and recommendations is expected by the end of November.

The physical scope of the new facility has also changed from initial proposals. In a January memo, Sheriff Donnell Tanksley described the current jail as outdated and overcrowded. He originally proposed a new facility with 650 beds. That plan included 540 main beds plus a 20% buffer for expansion and programming. The approved plan now includes between 440 and 460 beds. Sweeney said the final count will depend on the layout and blueprints.

The county is using a collaborative model for construction and design. RMC Architects works alongside Ram Construction and Clark Construction. Sweeney said this approach allows the teams to plan together, which should save money. He noted that this process shaves months off the timeline by reducing the need for bid revisions and construction changes. On a project of this size, saving months equates to saving millions of dollars.

Design details are still being finalized. Officials are discussing replacing one large courtroom with two smaller ones. The teams were optimistic about this change in mid-September, but a decision has not been made. The team also decided to exclude the rapid reentry center from the current construction phase. Sweeney cited budget and space restrictions for this decision. Building the reentry center separately allows for a different timeline and potential future expansion.

County officials plan to seek state funding for the reentry center. Sweeney said they are in contact with the state legislator, who is interested in the project. The county expects to know if state funding will cover that part of the project early next year. The behavioral health center and the reentry center are key elements in achieving the balance between corrections and rehabilitation.

Sweeney described the goal as a matter of timing rather than possibility. He said the county is not at a perfect 50-50 split on day one because construction is expensive. He stated the county will reach that balance, but it is a question of when. Blueprints for the new facility are expected by early next year.