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Commissioner calls county Justice Center a 'travesty' amid dispute over size and cost
Summary
Commissioner Putnam criticized the county's Justice Center construction and long-term debt, characterizing the project as oversized and accusing prior decision-makers of dereliction; other commissioners defended the project context and noted Lincoln County's per-capita bond cost compares favorably to some peers.
Commissioner Putnam used a board discussion item on the county Justice Center to sharply criticize the facility's size and cost, comparing it to recent courthouse projects in neighboring counties and saying Lincoln County taxpayers are now obligated to long-term payments. Putnam described other counties' courthouse costs and questioned how the county ended up with what he called a "monstrosity," saying taxpayers would face large annual payments and calling the outcome a "travesty."
Other commissioners responded that courthouse planning had been ongoing and involved many prior meetings with court stakeholders, and they disputed Putnam's characterization of the financing and per-capita cost. One commissioner noted Lincoln County's population and the board's expectation to come in under the $54.8 million bond; the exchange ended with a motion to consider executive session matters. The board did not take new action on the Justice Center at the meeting.
