JAMESVILLE, N.Y. -- Next week, Onondaga County voters will decide who controls the Jamesville Correctional Facility. Right now, it's under the control of the Onondaga County Executive.          

Joanie Mahoney appoints the corrections commissioner, who reports to her. A proposal on the ballot is asking if Jamesville Correctional should be under the control of the sheriff instead.

Sheriff Gene Conway currently oversees the Justice Center. He said having both facilities under control of one administrator would make operations more efficient, especially when it comes to overcrowding.

In the past, Conway said he had a bill of nearly $30,000 for boarding 20 inmates outside the county for 30 days.

"We are the only county in New York State that continues to have our jails under two separate administrations," Conway said. "I think the voters should know this. I have an obligation to keep costs controlled whenever I can. As we saw a couple of years ago, we had an unnecessary and very expensive bill. That I don't want to see happen again."

The decision to put this to a public vote, initially gave pause to some corrections officers at Jamesville.

Dan Vadala, the president of CSEA Local 834, the union representation for the officers, released a statement saying in part, "Our membership felt left out of an important issue that could have had an effect on their employment. The sheriff maintains that it is merely a change in management of the facility; if this is the case then we don't see many current issues being created. As it stands right now, our membership is split on the issue."

There are also three statewide propositions on the ballot this year. They include the constitutional convention, pensions of public officials convicted of a felony, and the creation of a land bank with up to 250 acres of forest preserve land eligible for use by local municipalities for projects.