by Dennis Dalman
The wording of a ballot referendum question for a proposed three-eighth cent sales-tax increase was approved July 9 by Stearns County commissioners – a tax that would pay for a Justice Center, including a new county jail.
The following is the wording of the question that voters throughout the county will consider at the Nov. 5 general/presidential election:
“Shall Stearns County be authorized to impose a sales-and-use tax of three-eighths of one percent (0.375%) to finance up to $325,000,000 in construction of a Justice Center facility, consisting of law enforcement, judicial center and jail? The sales tax would be used solely to finance construction, upgrades and financing costs for the Justice Center and remain in effect for 30 years or until the project is paid for, whichever comes first. These services and facilities are mandated by the State of Minnesota to be provided by counties.”
Meantime, the county will begin an information blitz for Stearns County residents to inform them of the need for the Justice Center project and what it would involve. The information efforts will include tours of facilities, community-information meetings and making sure county employees understand the issues so they can share accurate information with county residents.
There will be many informational meetings announced in July so people in virtually any area of the county can have a nearby meeting to attend (within 10 miles of their homes). The 17 informational meetings will be held between Sept. 23 to Oct. 24. The time and place of each meeting will be announced and publicized later.
The rationale for the Justice Center/Jail Project is that those facilities are woefully inadequate and do not meet state standards, despite many repairs throughout the years. In addition to a new jail, the law-enforcement center must be made up-to-date so officers will have the requisite resources to properly serve the public. A larger courthouse will also be needed to accommodate an increasing caseload and more judges. There is also a need for a county attorney’s office and for probation services.
It’s estimated the sales-tax increase could pay off the Justice Center project over a 30-year period. At a county commissioners’ meeting last month, it was agreed those facilities would be built away from where they are located now – in a busy, crowded area by the downtown St. Cloud courthouse. The facilities will likely be constructed on an as-yet-undetermined space within the St. Cloud city limits.
One rationale for a sales tax is that many, if not most, of jail inmates in the St. Cloud jail are not residents of Stearns County. About 55 percent of shoppers in Stearns County who would pay the tax live outside of the county – thus, they would help pay for the center facilities.
If the sales-tax referendum ballot question fails on Nov. 5, the center project will have to be paid via property taxes assessed throughout Stearns County.
County officials estimate if the sales-tax is approved, each household in the county would pay an additional $85 or so in sales tax per year. If the project must be built using property-tax money, that amount per household would be an additional $185 per year on average for county households.
To learn more about the Justice Center and why it is such a priority, visit the following Stearns County website: stearnscountymn.gov/1753/Justice-Center-Project.
