Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson proposed a $660 million jail overhaul on Tuesday, Oct. 20. The plan would raise property taxes about $70 a year for the average homeowner and reshape the criminal justice system Millcreek depends on for policing.
The proposal, presented to the Salt Lake County Council, would close the aging Oxbow Jail, expand the Metro Jail by 804 beds and launch a diversion program steering eligible people with mental health challenges into supervised treatment instead of incarceration, according to Gephardt Daily.
Millcreek contracts its law enforcement through the Unified Police Department. The UPD Millcreek Precinct is staffed by 25 patrol officers, four traffic officers, three detectives and a mental health unit detective, among others, all led by Precinct Chief Christine Petty-Brown.
More than 70% of the county's general fund supports criminal justice functions, Wilson said in her budget presentation. The proposed budget would also give sworn officers up to a 5.75% salary increase.
What the jail project includes
The Metro Jail opened in 1999 and has not had a major expansion even as the county's population grew by more than 300,000 residents. Under Wilson's proposal, the county would add 684 new beds and renovate existing space to create 120 more. Oxbow Jail's 552 general-population beds would be decommissioned.
The net result: 252 more beds. System-wide capacity would rise from 2,623 to 2,875. Medical and mental health beds would nearly triple, growing from 136 to 384.
Wilson also proposed setting aside $15 million for a future facility serving people awaiting treatment placement through diversion or after leaving jail.
"A jail cell cannot substitute for a functioning mental health system," Wilson said, as reported by Gephardt Daily.
How it gets paid for
Wilson proposed a lease revenue bond of approximately $575 million, with the county having already set aside $100 million. The debt would be repaid over 25 years.
The property tax increase amounts to a 13.53% rate hike, generating about $39.5 million a year. For the average homeowner with a home valued at about $658,000, that means roughly $5.85 more per month, or $70.21 per year. Businesses would pay about $10.64 a month, or $127.65 a year.
The county receives about 17% of a resident's total property tax bill. The rest goes to school districts, cities and other local service providers.
A second try after bond defeat
The proposal follows a failed attempt to expand jail capacity. Salt Lake County voters rejected a $507 million public-safety bond in late 2024, with roughly 52% opposed, the Millcreek Journal reported in December 2025. After that defeat, the county shifted to a smaller 0.2% sales-tax increase to fund limited jail work.
Sheriff Rosie Rivera told a county committee that the jail is at 90% capacity and the county is no longer allowed to do overcrowding releases. State legislative changes also now require longer jail stays, according to county meeting records.
Chief Deputy Matt Dumont told the same committee that a draft of operating costs shows $34 million in annual costs because of the larger population and higher medical expenses.
What happens next
The Salt Lake County Council will review the proposal in public meetings and may change the final amount. A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2026, at 6 p.m., followed by a council vote. Residents can comment at council meetings or email the council directly.
