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Public hearing held on proposed 2026 Union County jail bond; finance staff cites roughly $312 million financing cost
Summary
Union County opened a public hearing on a proposed 2026 jail bond referendum; Assistant Finance Director John Buchanan described GEO bonds and an estimated total financing cost of roughly $312 million and reported an ambiguous tax-rate estimate recorded in the staff remarks; a resident spoke in favor of the referendum.
The Union County Board of Commissioners opened a public hearing July 20 on a proposed 2026 jail bond referendum. John Buchanan, the county's assistant finance director, explained next procedural steps (adoption of a bond order and approval to place the referendum on the ballot) and said the county is evaluating general-obligation bonds as a financing option that typically yields lower interest costs.
Buchanan said the transcripted staff remarks included an estimated total financing cost "roughly in the neighborhood of $312 million." He also referenced an estimated tax-rate impact; the transcript records that estimate ambiguously as "$3,110" or "$3,111" per $100,000 of assessed value. The county did not take a vote on the bond at the meeting; the next steps would be adoption of a bond order and filing the referendum with the board of elections if the board pursues the measure.
A member of the public, Maline Bile of Monroe, spoke in support, saying: "The jail needs to be redone right now ... plus the safety of the officers and the human rights violations." Chair Helms closed the public hearing after the speaker comments. No final action to place the referendum on the ballot was taken at the meeting.
