The McFarland City Council on Thursday voted in favor of a plan by the GEO group to expand the company's for-profit detention centers in the small farming town. Despite calls to postpone the meeting, one council member says the decision was rushed due to the town's financial situation.
Councilmember Rafeal Melendez said, like many others, he wanted to know why the city rushed to a meeting that would impact much of the community.
“The city manager replied that [due to] financial urgencies it was necessary to move forward so that we can start to receive funds,” Melendez said. “Is it a valid answer? I don’t know but it’s the answer we received.”
Despite his concerns, Melendez chose to vote in favor of the plan, making the decision unanimous.
Maria Abundis, a resident activist, says she's frustrated with the council’s decision but will continue to fight for the majority of the town’s residents who fought to keep GEO out.
“I’m hopeful that if we can’t do anything now, well the November elections are coming up. So now we focus on activating the community to go out and vote to get those people out of city council,” said Abundis.
The town’s two empty state prisons will be repurposed into annexes for the Mesa Verde Detention Center, with an additional 1,400 beds.