Higher estimates released for jail complex
Progress comes with a big price tag and a county justice center is no exception.
Such was the word Jan. 3 when Marion County Commission met in a special meeting to hear the news from B&G Consultant Dan Hall that a new jail and court services facility could cost several million more than originally projected but creative financing could make the project feasible.
Originally, the plans were for a sheriff's department and retention facility to replace an outdated and non-compliant county jail. The estimated cost of that project was $11 million.
When the commission learned of security upgrades that were in the works for the court system, it decided to include a court room, district court offices, and county attorney offices which would cost taxpayers more.
Hall presented project cost estimates using 2007 figures and 2008 estimates. The total cost projection for the design with 2007 cost estimates was $13,857,894 and $14,782,993 with 2008 figures. These estimates are based on 72 beds.
These estimates did not include any operational costs or contents such as furniture and equipment.
All three commissioners agreed that taxpayers probably wouldn't support a 1.5 percent sales tax increase and commissioner Bob Hein questioned whether a $14.7 million bond issue would pass.
Commission chairman Dan Holub said he didn't want to see any more than a .5 percent increase.
According to bond counselor David Artebury of George K. Baum Company, there are several options.
The county could impose an additional sales tax of .5 to 1.5 percent, or increase the mill levy which would increase property taxes, or do a combination of both. The revenue from the sales tax and/or property tax and the jail, since the plans include sufficient facilities to house out-of-county prisoners, could pay the bond.
Marion County was granted special legislature last year to implement as much as a 1.5 percent sales tax increase, if voters approve the increase through an election.
Artebury presented information of how an increased sales tax would be used to pay bond debt using 20-year and 25-year scenarios.
Currently, Hillsboro, Peabody, and Florence have the highest sales tax in the county at 7.30 percent. If a .5 percent were imposed, their rate would increase to 7.80.
Commissioner Randy Dallke asked if there were any other counties or cities in the state with an eight percent sales tax. Neodesha, in Wilson County, has the highest sales tax in the state at 8.3 percent. Wilson County has a one percent sales tax, which is what Marion County currently has.
There are seven cities in Kansas at more than eight percent. Nineteen cities are at 7.8 to eight percent, including Herington.
Counties with a two percent sales tax are Cheyenne, Harvey, Republic, Russell, Sedgwick, and Wichita. Sherman County has a 2.25 percent sales tax. There are three counties with a 1.5 percent and two at 1.25 percent sales tax.
Artebury informed the commission that new legislature, if passed, could affect this project.
Currently cities have a one percent maximum sales tax that can be implemented for a maximum of 10 years. Legislature may be presented that would impose the same limitations to counties. Artebury said he wasn't sure if the county would be "grandfathered" since legislature also approved a special sales tax for the county.
Hall said the county could just build a jail and sheriff's department and a shell for a future court services area which could be bid as an alternate. Revenue from the jail then could fund the court room and district court offices.
County auditor Scott Loyd of Swindoll, Janzen, Hawk and Loyd, said his experiences have indicated a stressful time for counties during the period when construction ends and full operation begins. He wasn't sure what could be done to alleviate that issue.
Artebury said the county would need to pass a resolution by early February to authorize the ballot question for a sales tax. A public meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the court room at Marion County Courthouse.
