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 say the county lacks now. The county official framed the measure as a multi‑part package: a three‑quarter‑cent sales tax for construction and operations and a bond issue to provide immediate capital for building. "The only solution is to keep trying, the 3 quarter cent election," the official said.

Officials provided finances and timing. The presenter gave a projected bond amount of $85,000,000 and said the county's financial analysis estimates the three‑quarter‑cent tax would produce about $12–12.5 million annually, money that could be pledged for bonds. The presenter also said construction estimates for modern jails are currently running high: "Jails right now are going from 7 to $800 a square foot. That's that's where their the bid point is right now," the county official said.

Campaign and oversight: County staff said a committee registered with the secretary of state — described as the "Securing a safer Pope County" committee — will run the outreach and accept contributions. The county official named Harold Cornett, Jason Golden and Jason Ramsey (identified in the meeting as the committee chair) as the committee leads; Dr. Teresa Cullen was described as a volunteer spokesperson. Organizers said they have the Chamber of Commerce endorsement and planned town‑hall meetings in April and May and targeted outreach to civic groups.

Officials emphasized enforcement and restitution as selling points. The county official said many victims are unpaid for decades and that local leaders want a mechanism to hold offenders and process cases more promptly. The official also noted state sentencing changes that can upgrade repeat shoplifting to a felony, which county presenters said would increase demand for bed space and processing capacity.

Operations and costs: Presenters said the construction timeline would be long even if the measure passes — design and engineering would likely occupy 2025 and 2026, with earliest construction bids in fall 2026 and ground‑breaking in 2027. They said the sales tax would include an operational component that does not sunset. The county finance staffer who prepared the sales tax projections was cited as estimating annual revenues sufficient to support bonding and operations.

Officials also noted a shortfall in state reimbursement for state inmates: the county receives $40 per day from the state but estimated the true holding cost at about $63 per day, or roughly $23 per state inmate per day in county expense.

What was not decided: No formal action or vote was recorded at the workshop; presenters outlined a campaign plan and asked the governing body for feedback. Details on final bond terms, precise project scope, and operational staffing levels were described as subject to design and later budgeting. The official said staffing needs would depend on final facility design and that modern designs aim to reduce staffing needs per bed compared with older open‑bay jails.

Ending: Organizers said public information events and social media outreach would follow. Early voting for the special election was added to printed materials as beginning May 6; meeting presenters said the campaign would continue outreach to civic groups and hold public town halls in April and early May.