To the editor:

Dear Douglas County commissioners,

We write to request your answers to the following questions:

1. Will the Douglas County Commission place a funding mechanism (i.e., sales or property tax) to support expanded mental health services alone on the ballot in 2018 or 2019?

2. Will the Douglas County Commission support a comprehensive analysis of our local criminal justice system to identify reforms, alternatives and preventative measures to lower our jail population to be completed by one of the firms contracted by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for its Safety and Justice Challenge Program in coordination with the Douglas County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council?

We believe the outcome of the May 15, 2018, election, the opinions voiced at the Douglas County listening session and recent polls all attest to the widespread support for criminal justice reform and mental health services. We believe your leadership on these two separate tracks will provide the path of unity we need to move forward as a community.