Boone County Council to hold public hearing on proposed jail expansion
LEBANON, Ind. (WISH) — The Boone County Council will hold a public hearing Monday to find out what residents think about a proposed tax increase that would help pay for an expansion of the county jail.
County commissioners presented a proposal for the $58 million project–and the increased jail income tax that would go with it–about 18 months ago.
Plans for the expansion include additional bed space, increased mental health and addiction services, more room for a new work release program, and a morgue for the county coroner, I-Team 8’s Richard Essex reported in April.
But, there’s a problem. County commissioners and the Boone County Council, which must approve funding for the jail–including the tax increase–are at odds over the project.
In April, council president Else Nieshalla sent a statement to News 8 discussing her opposition to the proposal.
“I have always shared the Commissioners’ desire to make safety in Boone County priority one. Their desire to push forward a project with many unanswered questions, however, is one I do not share, especially when that project requires a tax increase,” Nieshalla wrote. “If the Commissioners’ proposed solution was a slam dunk option or the only option to consider, it would have been easy to move forward.”
In contrast, Jeff Wolfe, president of the board of Boone County Commissioners, says it’s “long past time” to move forward with the expansion.
“This is one of the most cost effective projects we could do, and we need to move forward before interest rates keep rising,” Wolfe said in a statement Friday. “If we wait any longer, taxpayers will continue to be impacted. I’m hopeful this project will be expedited to ensure overall public safety across Boone County.”
Wolfe notes that the project has the support of Sheriff Mike Nielsen, who said in a statement, “The commissioners’ proposal really addresses those suffering from mental health issues and addiction needs in Boone County. We currently do not have the space or facilities we need to make sure all of our inmates are taken care of. I’m hopeful we can move forward on this expansion in the near future.”
Monday’s public hearing will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the Connie Lamar Meeting Room inside the Boone County Office Building.