Now

that the location of a new jail and courthouse

for Fayette County has been decided, county

commissioners hope to decide within the next

month how to finance the $60 million project.

Commissioners

last week voted unanimously to proceed with their

original plan to add onto the current jail, use

the current courthouse for sheriff's offices and

build a new three-story court facility next door.

Plans

to use the current 65-acre site, between Lee

Street and Jimmie Mayfield Boulevard in downtown

Fayetteville, brought a storm of protest in

recent months from about 300 residents of the

immediate area, and more recently has resulted in

a recall action being filed against all five

commissioners (see related story).

Commissioners

slowed their building plans down long enough to

have a public hearing Jan. 6 to see if residents

could present any "compelling reasons"

why the plan, developed last spring, should be

changed in favor of alternative sites.

But

members of the county governing body, saying the

current site is still the best one, voted during

their business meeting last Thursday to stay the

course.

"I

think it's something we have to do," said

Commissioner Herb Frady before casting his vote.

"I firmly believe this is the best place for

the jail for the entire county... the entire

community," said Commissioner Linda Wells.

Commissioners

said changing plans and moving to a new site

would mean abandoning the current facilities and

adding millions of dollars to the cost of the

project.

Commissioner

Greg Dunn, a member of the two-person jail

planning committee along with Herb Frady, said

this week he hopes the financing question can be

on the commission agenda at one if its two

Thursday night meetings in February, either Feb.

10 or Feb. 24.

"There

are a lot of options to consider," he said,

"and if we want to put anything on the

ballot, we need time to accomplish it."

Commissioners

would want to put the issue on the regular

General Election ballot in November, rather than

having to have a special election, he said.

But

financing for the jail may not be placed on a

ballot at all. One option commissioners have

discussed is having the county facilities

authority issue bonds with no public vote, an

option that would allow for lower interest rate

bonds than the usual general obligation bonds

that require a public vote.

Other

options for financing the project include a

special purpose local option sales tax and using

the federal Certificates of Participation

program.

Rough

estimates are that a sales tax would cost the

average household about $1,500 over five years;

general obligation bonds would cost about $1,750

spread over 30 years; facilities authority bonds

would cost about $1,300 over 30 years, and COPS

would cost just over that, about $1,315.

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