The Kewaunee County Board will decide whether or not you will get a final say on the future of its jail. The board listened to a presentation last month concerning the $25.6 million project from Venture Architects and Samuels Group representatives. The presentation included the proposed floor plans and cost estimates. The county administrative staff also gave information on the project's budgetary, debt, and tax implications. With help from existing county funds and American Rescue Plan Act dollars, the debt proceeds would be about $21 million.
As a result, Kewaunee County residents would see their property tax bill rise by roughly $40 on a $200,000 home in exchange for replacing the state's oldest and smallest county jail. Concerns about the fluctuating interest rates, surging construction costs, and other potential projects like the county highway shop were raised during the meeting by members of the public and board supervisors. During this meeting, the Kewaunee County Board will first decide on whether or not the project should proceed at all. They will vote for the issuance of $21 million in general obligation bonds or promissory notes to help pay for the project. While the first vote needs a simple majority, the second vote requires 15 of the 20 supervisors to say yes. According to Kewaunee County Administrator Scott Feldt, anything less than that would trigger a referendum vote this fall.
The Kewaunee County Board meets on July 19th at 6 p.m. at the Kewaunee County Fairgrounds Expo Hall.
