Tarryl Clark
Stearns County Board Chair
Stearns County faces a critical decision – how to fund a new justice center.
The State has made it clear Stearns County must act to address its outdated and overcrowded jail and courthouse. Our board voted to build a facility in a new undeveloped location within St. Cloud, our county seat, because that made the most sense financially. Other options were more expensive ($100 million more to build downtown).
Now, voters must decide how to pay for a new justice center – sales tax or property tax? Voting yes to the sales tax means everyone who shops here will contribute to funding this project. Because our jail is a regional facility, 50 percent of its inmates live outside Stearns County. The legislature granted our request to ask Stearns County voters to allow us to pay for it regionally as well, through a 0.038 cent sales tax. A study showed 55 percent of sales tax spending is by nonresidents. That means Stearns County residents would only pay 45 percent of the construction cost. If passed, the county’s portion of the sales tax remains low compared to other counties, and this approach keeps Stearns County debt-free.
Voting no means the cost will fall entirely on Stearns County property owners. We’ve spent years discussing options, reviewing data and considering every practical angle before bringing this choice to you. Knowing this project was forthcoming, we worked to be debt-free. Now, it’s time for you to decide how we pay for this vital facility.
