Jefferson County voters appear to have roundly rejected a measure that would have addressed an expected drop in revenue and allowed the county’s jail operations to be self-sufficient.

More than 60 percent of voters opposed adding 46 cents to the current rate of $1.24 per $1,000 of assessed property value, according to early ballot returns Tuesday.

The plan would have raised $15 million over the next five years.

“I’m disappointed,” Sheriff Jim Adkins said. “I’d say I’ve got my work cut out for me.”

The levy was intended to address a funding decrease caused by the construction of a new jail in neighboring Crook County. For 18 years, Crook County housed inmates at Jefferson County’s 160-bed facility in Madras, a deal that bolstered Jefferson’s budget by about $750,000 a year. But because of headaches associated with this arrangement, Crook County voters in 2016 passed a $10 million levy to build a $18.5 million jail.

Adkins said officials will ask for another levy in the May 2019 election. If that fails, Adkins said he’ll have to cut his jail staff in half and start a “matrixing” schedule system for inmates.

— Reporter: 541-383-0325, gandrews@bendbulletin.com