A meeting of the DeKalb County Commission’s Jail Committee last week, ended with the recommendation that the county move forward with a proposed judicial center over expanding the current jail. The committee voted 8-2-1 to recommend to the full county commission that a new judicial center be built once a site has been located for the project.

Those voting in favor of a judicial center were commissioners Tom Chandler, Daniel Cripps, Larry Green, Glynn Merriman, Justin Adcock, Jeff Barnes, Greg Matthews and Tim Reynolds. Beth Pafford and Tony Culwell voted no, while Sabrina Farler abstained saying she preferred to wait until a site for the facility has been chosen. Commissioners Tony Luna, Myron Rhody and Susannah Cripps Daughtry not present at the meeting.

A timeline for the project and how to fund the facility have not decided. The jail committee vote is only a recommendation, though the entire county commission makes up the jail committee.

Steve Bates, the county’s fiscal agent/financial advisor said that the cost difference in building a jail versus judicial center initially is $10 million, $50 million for a Judicial Center or $40 million for a Jail. In either case, County Mayor Adcock said a new revenue stream would be required to fund it whether it be a higher property tax rate, the implementation of a wheel tax, or a combination of the two.

Bates advised the jail committee to start thinking about how the county should fund the project, saying “You will need a full year’s collection if we issue bonds in fiscal 2024-25. You must have money start coming in to put in debt service. Your debt management policy says at a minimum you must have 80% of debt service requirement in your debt service fund. We only have about $2 million in debt service right now, so we will need more money.”

“You don’t want to find yourself with a payment when you’re not going to get any new revenue for months later. That puts you behind the eight ball,” he added.

County Mayor Adcock and Bates said to fund the project without any property tax increase would require a $120 wheel tax, but no one is advocating that option in this amount.

Adcock explained to the jail committee that the county has several options if it were to seek a wheel tax in some amount for this project. The county commission could seek a private act for DeKalb County through the Tennessee General Assembly, which is not likely. The commission could authorize a public referendum to let the voters give a straight up or down vote on a wheel tax in a county general election, or the commission could adopt by a two thirds majority a resolution establishing a wheel tax on separate readings at two consecutive meetings. In that case, 10 percent of the local electorate casting votes in the last governor’s election could sign a petition (515 signatures needed) forcing the county to have a referendum on a wheel tax.

The next question would be where it will be located. Mayor Adcock said the Peggy Hayes property (38 acres) on West Broad Street in Smithville seems to no longer be an option for the county because the parties can’t come to terms on a price. Adcock said the county is also looking at property in the Smithville Industrial Park, off Highway 70 east, but hasn’t heard yet if the industrial board is willing to consider selling it. Adcock has a meeting with the board this week.

According to Mayor Adcock, other possible locations have also been considered, but no one has been willing to sell to the county.

Adcock also had County Attorney Hilton Conger at the meeting to explain what the procedures are for imminent domain (condemnation) if the county were to choose that option on a particular piece of property.

Officials said that even when the property is identified and acquired, plans approved, and bonds issued, it could take up to three years before construction of a judicial center is completed.