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Council and staff outline bond, sales-tax split and voter education for detention center plan
Summary
Council members and county staff discussed how an estimated $50,000,000 detention center could be funded through a combination of a proposed 1% sales tax and existing debt mills; bond counsel will bid issuance and the county plans district-level education before Elections Commission approval.
County staff told council members the proposed $50,000,000 bond would be paid by a blend of sales-tax proceeds and existing debt mills; if sales-tax receipts fall short the bonds could be payable from an ad valorem levy on taxable property. Staff explained that bond counsel would solicit bids to secure the best interest rate when the county is ready to issue bonds.
Council members worked through high-level repayment examples during the discussion. One council member summarized the math as roughly $5,500,000 per year for eight years (totaling $44,000,000) and asked how the remaining roughly $6,000,000 would be covered; staff responded that the $50,000,000 is the bond amount and the annual payment would be sourced from the sales tax and existing mills. Council members repeatedly characterized the $50,000,000 figure as a working estimate pending the bed study, engineers' designs and further procurement work.
The council emphasized the importance of constituent education. Members said the sales tax would reach anyone who spends in the county — not only residents — and flagged the need to explain that point to voters. The chair and other members proposed town halls and district speakers and tasked staff to prepare outreach plans in advance of any Elections Commission action.
