Saline County is moving ahead with the jail project after preliminary results from Tuesday's general election indicated voters approved the construction of a new jail.
The preliminary vote of 12,444 to 10,600 indicated approval of a proposed one-half-percent sales tax to fund the project. The Saline County election results are scheduled to be certified, thus making them official, on Nov. 16.
“I truly appreciate the support shown to my office by passing the sales tax to fund the new facility. This facility will be more than a jail, it will include space for much needed programs and services that we simply can’t provide," said Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan. "Moving into a modern facility will be safer for staff, inmates and the public. Thank you Saline County citizens for showing your support on Election Day.”
The one-half-percent sales tax is scheduled to be effective April 1, 2021. A timeline is being developed for bond issuance for this project, the county indicated today.
The sales tax would pay for the general obligation bonds that would be needed to finance the construction of the facility, not to exceed $89,655,000, and would end once the bonds are paid off, as required by law. The county's financial advisors for the project have estimated that the bonds could be paid off in 15 to 20 years, depending on sales tax revenues received.
The sales tax increase is estimated to generate approximately $6 million annually. The difference in sales tax paid on a $100 purchase after the tax increase goes into effect is 50 cents.
"Approving the one-half percent sales tax for the purpose of building a new jail is a huge step forward for Saline County and the City of Salina. This will help bring the community further into the 21st century," said Saline County Commission Chair Robert Vidricksen. "A huge thank you to everyone who worked on this project over the past several years. The biggest thank you goes to the voters who recognized the importance of this project. Now we need to roll up our sleeves and go to work and see the project completed."
The first steps in the project will include site acquisition and building design. An estimated timeline for the project includes groundbreaking in the fall of 2021 and project completion in the fall of 2023.
Saline County citizens who are interested in learning more about the project can see preliminary design information at www.saline.org/Jail-Project-2020. They also can sign up to receive updates on the project as it progresses.