Oklahoma County Commissioners Meet To Discuss Allocating ARPA Money To Mental Health Facility

Oklahoma County Commissioners met Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 31, to discuss allocating $40 million in American Rescue Plan money to build a mental health care facility near Southeast 15th Street and Grand Boulevard.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued a formal opinion Monday, Dec. 30, weighing in on a lawsuit between the county and Oklahoma City. The county filed the lawsuit after the Oklahoma City Council denied zoning approval for the county to build a new jail and mental health facility on the Grand Boulevard property near Del City. 

Drummond said Oklahoma County has legal immunity from the city’s zoning regulations.

The jail would be funded with a bond approved by voters, and the mental health facility would be funded with ARPA money.

County Commissioner Brian Maughan said the ruling cleared the way for the vote on the mental health facility on the day of the deadline for the money to be allocated.

You can watch the meeting below.