March 2018 Co-President's Message

March 2018 Co-President's Message

Type: 
News

The date for our annual meeting has been rescheduled to Sunday, April 29 at Maceli's. The League will be participating in Earth Day activities on the original date, Saturday, April 21. More information will be in the April Voter.

A group of us gathered to celebrate Susan B Anthony’s birthday which is February 15. We had great food and wonderful conversation. We played a SBA Bingo and learned that our Susan toured Yosemite National Park at the age of 78. Throughout her life she advocated for women’s rights, abolition, and equal pay. She died at age 86.  She is honored in the US Capital along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott with a sculpture in the Rotunda of the Capital.

There have been several groups holding meetings about the Douglas County Sales Tax mail in ballot issue. The County Commission has approved a plan to improve the jail facilities for women and individuals who need special health care and to improve behavioral health.

A coalition of community agencies have collaborated to plan an integrated system that focuses upon intervention. Recovery and prevention as well as provide safe/secure housing. The county is required to house individuals sentenced to the jail so the question is how is it to be financed. The mental health component was planned for many reasons…recidivism, crisis intervention, and to intervene with hard to resolve addiction issues, etc. 

The mail ballot does not separate the plan into separate components. The ballot which is planned for April asks the voters to agree/disagree on the financing; the county proposes a .05% increase in the sales tax. This is proposed to collect about $9 million a year.

The cost of building is about $45 million. Keep in mind that that the county has only two options for financing – sales tax or property tax. There are groups in the community questioning this plan. The League is committed to voter education and we are non-partisan. The League has been working with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office to schedule a tour of the jail. Since this will likely occur between newsletters please check your email for details of the tour. 

Our League is reviewing our electronic and social media presence. We have begun the process of updating our web pages. There will be a lot to look forward to as the web site begins to change. You will see theses changes take place over a couple of months.