County’s Public Protection and Judiciary Committee and Personnel and Finance Committee Move Jail Funding Resolutions Forward

April 11, 2023
County Board Chair Patrick Miles, (608) 886-9167
County Board

Last night, the Dane County Public Protection and Judiciary (PP&J) and Personnel and Finance (P&F) Committee met jointly to consider two resolutions regarding financing of the Jail Consolidation Project.  Each committee voted to move  the resolutions forward to the County Board. While both resolutions provide the funding needed for the jail project, one relies on authorization of notes previously authorized for other projects. The notes would be repaid over 10 years. The other relies on a authorization of General Obligation (GO) bonds that would be repaid over 20 years.  The 10-year notes require a two-thirds vote of the County Board to be approved while GO bonds require a three-quarters vote.  

County Board Supervisor Richelle Andrae (District 11), Chair of the PP&J Committee commented, “advancing funding for the jail project to the full Board for consideration is an important step forward, and I'm confident that we will continue to look for points of consensus that both keep our community safe, and move the needle toward racial justice." 

 

One of the resolutions was previously introduced in December, and postponed until more complete construction documents with updated cost estimates were completed.  Those documents were completed in late March indicating the project is estimated to cost approximately $179 million, or $13 million more than is currently budgeted. Both resolutions would use $3.5 million previously borrowed, but not used, for the Jail Space Needs Study.  The earlier resolution would repurpose authority to borrow $10 million with operating notes from other projects to the jail project. The second resolution would provide new authorization to borrow $10 million with GO Bonds instead of operating notes because bonding has a longer repayment period typically used with capital projects like facilities. Additionally, debt service for the GO Bonds would require $450,000 less per year on the operating budget. 

“Completion of the construction design documents and cost estimates was the next step in the jail consolidation project,” said County Board Chair Patrick Miles. “With that done, the next step is to authorize the financing. Without it, there is no project. We have a responsibility to get this project done.”

Pending County Board approval, the project could go out for bid this summer.  

The County Board will consider the resolutions at the April 20th County Board meeting. The text of the resolutions can be found here: 2022 RES-287, 2023 RES-013.