Chickasaw County Supervisors Consider November Vote for Jail Bond

Chickasaw County voters might be asked to decide this fall on a bond referendum for over $6 million to upgrade the County’s jail facilities. 

During their regular Board meeting MOnday (08.14), County Supervisors heard from consultant Greg Samuels, who reiterated that renovating the current jail, inside the Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Office building, to make it state-compliant to hold inmates for more than 24 hours, is not a viable option.

The Samuels Group plan calls for a new additional facility to the north of the current jail building.

Estimated cost for the new jail facilities is about $6.3 million dollars, but Samuels also urged Supervisors to consider additional funds to renovate the current jail building, including replacing the HVAC system, increasing the size of the dispatch center and moving the sheriff’s office to the upper floor.

If Supervisors approve putting the bond referendum before voters, they must also decide when. Sheriff Ryan Shawver lobbied for a ballot measure this November rather than waiting another year.

Samuels said time is running short to get a bond referendum up for vote this year, but it could be done. He also cautioned that the longer the County waits, they can expect costs to rise about 8% a year.

The Board made no decision, but is seeking information on the calendar deadlines to get the measure on the ballot this November. The issue is slated for additional discussion and possible action when Supervisors meet this Monday (08.21) in regular session at 9 am.