Creators of an initiative to raise property taxes in Arapahoe County to fund a new jail launched their campaign Sept. 6.

Safer Arapahoe County will ask voters to approve a 3.4 mill levy increase, or about $1.59 a month per $100,000 in home value. For the average county home valued at $380,000, that cost about $68 a year.

The money would go to a new jail, which the county says is badly needed as the original jail wasn’t built to handle so many inmates.

Renovations of the current jail would cost more than building a new one and wouldn’t resolve the electrical and plumbing problems, Arapahoe County said in a news release. 

The new jail would have 1,612 beds, three housing pods, 11 classrooms, 11 visitation rooms and new medical and behavioral health units.

“If the voters don’t pass Referred Measure 1A, the jail infrastructure will continue to worsen, further endangering sheriff’s deputies, inmates and visitors,” the release says.