The County Commishes finally sealed the deal on the Jerome property. This must be a big relief for our County Deciders in a short cash year. The real thanks need to go to the folks who brought forward the law suit to stop a $80 Million dollar jail/justice center from going in on that parcel. Given all the financial woes the Commishes are in this year with 10% budget cuts for all departments, personnel hiring freezes and other pain they are dealing out. A new mega-jail construction project would have been a disaster for the taxpayers of Canyon County.
The good news is this "albatross" is off the collective necks of the commissioners and we are moving forward with a bare bones budget this year. The Guardian is wondering if the warehouse jail project out on Hwy. 20/26 is going to move forward in a tight budget year? We went to the Caldwell City Council workshop on water and sewer expansions and there are no water, sewer or gas lines out to the new jail site
Another law suit is moving forward on the current jail construction project. Problem is the commissioners did not learn from the first law suit. They failed to seek Judicial Confirmation on the expendatures in the absence of a voter approved bond election. The jail project is creating a multi-year liability for the taxpayers as it crawls forward. Former Idaho Supreme Court Justice Linda Copple-Trout will be deciding this case in September.
Word on the street is the Commishes have to cut another $5.5 Million dollars to bring the budget in balanced with expected revenues.
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