County manager and commissioners say justice center on budget; board discusses financing from bonds and ARP funds

Cleveland County officials told the board on Dec. 2 that the county’s justice center project remains within budget and is roughly two months ahead of schedule, and provided a summary of recent borrowing and funding sources.

During year-end remarks, the chair said the county had borrowed $89,000,000 in bonds and that roughly $75,000,000 of that went to finish the justice center construction. "The county borrowed $89,000,000," the chair said. He added that the county invested $19,000,000 of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds into the justice center and that state funding was "about $105,000,000," a figure the speaker hedged.

Separately, the chair said the county funded a new landfill site and associated equipment with about $14,000,000; he described the landfill as an enterprise fund operation paid for by tipping fees and not from the general tax levy. "Anything in solid waste is paid for through those fees and not your general government tax," the chair said.

Board members also described upcoming county facilities: a new board of elections building and a new 9-1-1 center and operations center off Boston Highway, which county and state staff are expected to occupy next year. The speaker said the existing facilities will be removed once the new complex is in full use.

The figures reported in the meeting were presented verbally and with hedging language; a speaker used the phrase "I believe it was" when describing the total state contribution, and the transcript does not include supporting documents or a roll-call vote tied to the borrowing numbers. Further details should be confirmed in county financial records or the clerk’s office minutes.