Monroe County Council Puts Hold on New Jail and Justice Center
MONROE COUNTY, Ind. — The Monroe County Council voted against funding for a new jail and justice center.
On Wednesday, all seven county councilors voted down a proposal that would’ve added a $3 million appropriation to buy the land where the complex would sit. That would have brought the total land cost to $11 million.
The entire bill for the complex is around $225 million and council members said they just can’t put that kind of money up at the moment.
“There’s no way around it, we cannot afford a quarter of a billion dollars right now,” said Peter Iversen, Monroe County Council member and president pro tempore.
At Wednesday’s meeting, councilors also agreed to stop paying the architectural firm and for their services related to the project. Some councilors are placing blame on a property tax law for them now not being able to pay for the new jail facility.
“It is not appropriate to take a quarter of a billion dollars on the hope and prayer that on November 3rd the Legislature is going to wake up,” Iversen said, referring to state lawmakers planning to convene on that date for a special session.
According to council member Iversen, there was a plan in place with the appropriate funding needed for the new justice center, but then “the rug was ripped out from underneath us.”
“So many things have been decided behind closer doors for so many years on this project that we have been cut out,” councilor David Henry added.
The county council meeting lasted for more than seven hours with much of that time including public comment about the project. Most residents who spoke were against the proposal, citing the high cost and location. Although, Monroe County Jail Commander Kyle Gibbons said they are in desperate need for a new facility and have been for a few years now.
“I’m not saying we need a superjail, I’m not saying we need to spend millions on a property, but what I am saying is this is not sustainable,” Gibbons told the council. “I have the walls literally caving in inside the facility right now.”
The proposed jail would be more than double the size of the Charlotte Zietlow Justice Center in downtown Bloomington. It would increase capacity to around 500 beds, helping with the current overcrowding issues at the downtown facility.
Sheriff Ruben Marté said with how the current facility is laid out, it makes for a challenging work day.
“I can tell you right now that the stress level of the people that are working in the jail right now are off the charts,” Sheriff Marté said to council members.
Renderings of the proposed jail and justice center off of State Road 46 and Hunter Valley Road were released just two months ago with construction of it supposed to start in about a year. Council members are now looking at other possible locations for the project.
