Harrison County advances jail renovation plan, forwards bond ordinance and approves MEP contract

Commissioners on the Harrison County Board voted Feb. 2 to approve a contract with Parco Construction Group, LLC, for mechanical, electrical and plumbing renovations at the county jail and to forward an ordinance authorizing bond financing to the county council.

The commissioners approved the Parco contract by a 3-0 vote after County Auditor Sara Burdick presented the jail renovation as an agenda item. Burdick then introduced Ordinance 2026-02, described in the meeting as an authorization to issue general obligation bonds "for the purpose of providing funds to design, renovate, construct and equip the existing Harrison County jail facility and to pay the costs of the issuance of the bond." Commissioner Annissa Kellum moved to approve, sign and forward the ordinance to the county council; Commissioner Brad Wiseman seconded and the motion carried 3-0.

The ordinance text and the meeting record did not specify a bond principal amount, repayment term or estimated tax impact. The commissioners’ vote forwarded the ordinance to the county council for formal consideration and any required public hearings. The Parco Construction contract was approved at the same meeting; the transcript does not list the contract value.

County officials said only that the Parco contract is for the jail MEP renovation; details about contract amount, project timeline and expected construction milestones were not specified during the public meeting. The next procedural step is the county council’s review of Ordinance 2026-02; any bond issuance would require the council’s approval and compliance with state law governing general obligation debt.

The commissioners adjourned at 7:36 p.m.