By Jon Watje
Staff Writer

EL RENO - District 2 Canadian County Commissioner David Anderson questioned the efficiency of the Jail Steering Committee. The issue was brought up after the committee’s chairman, James Crosby, resigned last week.

 “We need to figure out what we are going to do with this committee,” Anderson said. “The concept of getting support through it was a good idea, however, I have been frustrated with the pace of how things have gone. We need to figure out if we are going to continue with it or drop it.”

Crosby explained way he resigned from the committee.

“I thought we were heading in a different direction and I didn’t support some of the commissioners’ ideas,” Crosby said. “Instead of getting into a big argument with them I decided to resign.”

District 1 Canadian County Commissioner Phil Carson said the role of the committee was never to make any decisions, but to help communicate between the commissioners and the public.

“The purpose of the committee is to relay ideas to the public,” Carson said. “The commissioners are the ones that determine the location and the design of the jail. The people on the committee are people who are community leaders and people look up to them and admire them. But the ultimate decision is to come from the commissioners.”

Anderson pointed to the fact that some of the committee members are city officials. Members of the committee include Mustang City Manager David Rutledge, El Reno City Manager Tony Rivera, and Crosby is the Yukon City Manager among others.

“The number one focus for some of them is their respective cities,” Anderson said. “It is hard to ask men to do something they can’t do, like support anything that raises taxes in their communities. I am not criticizing those who have served on the committee and I want to express my thanks to all those that wanted to help with this.”

Carson said he supported the committee.

“I think this is a good committee,” he said. “The people in it our mainly members of the larger cities, and there is were most of our voters are.”

Anderson said the main issue is how to fund the jail.

“It all boils down to funding and finding out if the cities will support a sales tax to fund a new jail,” Anderson said.

No decision was made regarding what to do with the committee, but Anderson said he wanted more open discussion.

“It seems like we have been taking two steps forward and one step back and we need to move quickly,” he said. “I don’t want to delay this any longer. The public needs to see and hear our discussions so they know we are putting in a plan that has the best interested for Canadian County in mind.”

Commissioners are planning on proposing a $17.9 million jail plan to the citizens of Canadian County.