In a few weeks, Ellsworth County voters will have the chance to decide if the county should add a one-quarter percent sales tax to goods sold, in order to make improvements and upgrades to the county courthouse and jail.

According to the proposed resolution, the project is not to exceed $3.2

million.

Ellsworth County Sheriff Kenny Bernard said proposed improvements to the law enforcement center total about $1.8 million.

“Through the election campaign, while I was doing my rounds, people heard about the sheriff ’s office putting in for a whole new jail — roughly $8 million,” he said. “Citizens were negative.”

Bernard said the current facility is about 40 years old, and upon taking office in January, he began to research the concerns, as well as explore possible solutions.

A litany of concerns were expressed to the newly- minted sheriff, including plumbing, a crack in the wall and concerns about the building settling/doors not closing correctly.

“When I finally got to do my assessment, I used a local plumber,” Bernard said. “As I told one citizen, if the plumbing is bad in your house, would you buy a whole new house? Or do you hire someone to come in?

“After assessment, we found there was no issues in the plumbing and water. The plugged issues were from what inmates do — stuff things down the toilet. They were calling a plumber on the regular basis.”

Bernard said staff already on the payroll are now versed in basic maintenance and can address some of the issues as they arise.

“We have the same plumbing equipment the plumbers have, so we can do it ourselves. I have cut down on that drastically,” he said.

Bernard said structural concerns were brought to him.

“There was a crack in the wall,” he said. “Nobody verified if it goes through the building or if it’s superficial.”

Bernard said previous leadership suggested a new $8 million facility would remedy the issues.

The new sheriff expressed concerns about the construction process, especially the potential damage to expensive and sensitive equipment in the facility that operates the 911 system.

“Nobody could give me a definite answer,” he said. “They had an engineer come in and do an assessment. There was no indicating (concrete or structural failure) on concrete. I didn’t see the need to do the big overall.”

Rather, Bernard said he wants to start with existing facilities, improve and make strategic expansions.

“Our biggest need is space,” he said.

The sheriff pointed to storage space. Currently, inmate property is stored in the same closet as medications. The proposed plan includes a new, separate locked room for medication (it is currently locked, but other items share the same space).

Bernard also wishes to move the booking and intake area to the rear of the facility. This would include an enclosed area for law enforcement officers to bring those who will be booked into the jail.

The proposed $1.8 million construction plans call for the addition of a sallyport, adding an intake room, transforming a current storage room into the booking office, repurposing the current booking room, upgraded generators, making improvements to the dispatch room and constructing an enclosed corridor that goes from the intake room to the back door of the courthouse.

“One of the big items is the covered quarter going from the jail to the courthouse,” Bernard said. “Apparently, it’s been a concern of those working in the courthouse or people driving by that the prisoner was transported to court out in the open. People can see them.

“Commissioners brought it to me. People want them out of sight.”

He said the proposed design builds a corridor from the intake room to the rear of the courthouse.

“It will go straight to courthouse. They will go to a door to the elevators for second or third floor court,” Bernard said. “If we have handicap inmate, we will be able to take them and roll them. It will be handicap accessible from the jail.”

In addition to upgrades in the law enforcement center, Ellsworth County Clerk Shelly Vopat said about $1.3 million is proposed for the courthouse.

Sydney Goldberg from Goldberg Group Architects said courthouse upgrades include HVAC improvements to all areas of the courthouse except for the courtroom. The courtroom is newer and has functional heating/cooling.

Additional items listed under architectural changes for the courhouse include relocating the Register of Deeds ($150,000), a secure room for voting equipment ($5,000), bringing the county clerk’s counter into ADA compliance ($5,000), along with a list of other improvements.

“The Register of Deeds is trading spaces with the extension office,” Vopat said. “They are also taking a bit of the new office space of the new extension office to build the election space to lock the election equipment. The entire courthouse will be central heat and air split units, for temperature control. My office is like off an inch or two somehow of being handicapped accessible and needs a lower counter.”

All told, the proposed architectural improvements for the courthouse are about $337,000. The mechanical improvements, including HVAC upgrade, are about $966,000.

Voters have the opportunity to choose to pay for the $3.2 million project with sales tax funds.

“The revenues received from the sales tax will be sufficient to retire the bonds without the necessity of levying any ad valorem taxation,” Vopat said.

The sales tax will be applied throughout Ellsworth County. Vopat said visitors to the county could help pay for the improvements instead of relying on utilizing property taxes to foot the bill.

“The commissioners were hoping on not putting the burden on the ad valorem tax and that people passing through our county would help pay for these costs,” she said.

Vopat pointed to recent construction on Highway 156. She estimated during the two-month closure of that section of the highway, sales tax revenue dropped $9,000 per month.

“They are estimating it will take 21 years to pay off, and it will be sunset at the time the bonds are paid off,” Vopat said. “We are planning on being able to begin collecting this tax April 2026 so it would be paid off roughly March of 2047.”

While some of the jail improvements fall under the proposed sales tax, Bernard points out improvements are already underway. Previously, the facility boasted lime green doors and yellow walls.

“All we’ve paid for is paint; staff has done the work themselves,” Bernard said.

He also moved his office space to share with the undersheriff, allowing the front office to be transformed into a dedicated office for the Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center.

“We’ve been loading it up with items for the kids — backpacks, things kids don’t have, stuffed animals, games puzzles,” he said.

“It’s a very soft approach system.”

Additionally, Bernard said his office is tackling the $97,500 worth of HVAC improvements with the office’s general budget.

“I’m not buying two cars,” he said. “I can redo heat and air units and completely cover the sheriff ’s office with the cost.

I’m giving up two cars next year to put in heat and air.”