Pope County official previews May vote on 3/4¢ public safety tax to fund 400‑bed jail and new 911 center

A county official told a Pope County workshop that county leaders plan to ask voters in a May special election to approve a three‑quarter‑cent sales tax and a bond to build, operate and maintain a new 400‑bed jail and an expanded 911 center.

The official said the sales tax would not be collected until October if it passes and that bonding could begin in the first quarter of 2026. "Keeping in mind, if this passes in May, it doesn't become collected until October. You don't start getting bonding until the first quarter of '26," the county official said.

The proposal responds, presenters said, to what they described as a large backlog of misdemeanor warrants and limited local capacity. The official cited nearly 11,000 active misdemeanor warrants and said the county currently operates a 72‑bed jail while regularly holding about 200 people per day. The county also reported roughly 90,000 911 calls annually, up from about 40,000 when the current 911 building opened.

Nut graf: Officials said the vote is intended to create space and operational funding that local leaders…