HANCOCK COUNTY, Ind. -- Voters in Hancock County wil be asked to approve a referendum for a new jail when they head to the polls on Tuesday.
"It's very overcrowded and we have 41 inmates out at other jails right now and the population is still a little over 200 inmates here," said Sheriff Michael Shepherd, Hancock County.
The facility was built to house fewer than 160 inmates. That's why the county is looking to spend $55 million.
"The $55 million is not just a new jail, I think about 30-35 million of it is for the jail. The rest of it is to remodel the current facility that we are in now, which will become probation and community corrections," said Sheriff Shepherd.
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The location where the jail would be built changed after results from a soil study showed the original spot wouldn't be an ideal location.
"They came up with some other ideas, some other possibilities, and the main one being to purchase some property behind south of where the jail was going to go. There's some houses that they may purchase and built the jail there," said Sheriff Shepherd.
The referendum asks voters to approve a property tax increase to raise funds for a new jail and renovations for the old one.
"If it passes, then that would allow property taxes, a lot of the property taxes are capped, they can't go any higher, and this on the ballot so voters can vote whether they would allow their property taxes to be raised above that cap," said Sheriff Shepherd.
Taxes on a $100,000 home would increase by roughly $45.
If the referendum passes, the county council has committed to pay for half of the project through the property tax. The other half will come from income tax.
If the referendum doesn't pass, council members say they will come up with a Plan B because the criminal justice center will be built regardless of the outcome of Tuesday's election.
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