To the editor:

County commissioners should give citizens the right to vote whether or not we want to go into debt to expand the jail. Alternatively, they should give us the modest democratic right to circulate a petition and gather 2,500 signatures within 30 days, placing the question on the ballot later in the year. Kansas law is clear on this: When local governments want to take out a loan with the people’s money, these are the two legal options that must be provided [K.S.A. §12-195b (e)].

County commissioners appear to have circumvented that provision of the law, as well as the will of their constituents, by approving a $30 million jail expansion while a packed courthouse of citizens watched with dismay at a recent County Commission meeting.

In the recent past we have seen a developer funneling supplies to a hotel to qualify for tax refunds, a mayor skimming money from a food bank, etc. But in terms of suppressing democracy, the county takes the cake.

Commissioners may justify their actions by saying, “The people gave up their rights in 1994, when they voted for a tax increase.” But in 1994 I am willing to bet that no one knew that in addition to raising taxes in perpetuity, we were forever giving away our basic democratic rights when it comes to county commissioners putting us in debt.

The people voted no to Prop. 1 in May 2018. The people should have a say on this new iteration of the county’s proposed jail expansion, according to the law.

Brent Hoffman,

Lawrence