Grant County Commissioner Marty Long testified before the Kansas House Ways and Means Committee March 8 in Topeka, requesting approval to add a one percent sales tax in Grant County to finance a new Justice Center to replace the existing 52-year-old jail facility.
The House Committee process took less than 10 minutes for Long to submit testimony and answer questions as to the details of the tax increase request.
House Bill 2421 passed Committee, and the next day went to the Kansas House, where it passed unanimously. It was then expected to go before the Kansas Senate.
The act would allow Grant County a countywide retailer’s sales tax authority, authorizing Grant County to place a question on the November ballot imposing a 1 percent countywide sales tax to finance the construction of a new jail facility. For the project question to be placed on the November ballot, it would have to be approved by September 30.
Meanwhile before progress can be made on the plans, a decision on the location would need to be made. At the March 21 Grant County Commissioners meeting, Long said he and Sean Harding with HMN Architect (the firm designing the plans for the new facility) had toured several possible sites and existing county properties for the Justice Center, including areas near the airport, east of the gun club and west of the fairgrounds, and the existing jail location.
Several important features would need to be considered for the final location, including but not limited to, the “matrix” surrounding the facility, such as transportation to the courthouse, power, sewer and water availability and security provisions.
Commissioners discussed the pros and cons of locations, costs and various ways they could aid in the planning process, including allowing the firm access to the county GIS mapping.
Long’s committee testimony on the project and the request for tax authorization can be viewed on the Kansas Legislature youtube channel, along with any other state legislature commit-tee and legislative testimonies and processes one might have an interest in.
If interested in attending county commissioner meetings, the meetings are open to the public and are the first and third Tuesday of every month beginning at 9 a.m.
To be placed on the agenda, contact County Clerk Sheila Brown at 356-1335.
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