County officials plan to approach the city of Seymour asking for help funding the Jackson County Judicial Center.
The county council formed a committee during a recent meeting to reboot its effort to secure funding from the city before bond payments on the $12.1 million center begin in June.
County council members Ann Cain, Kari Storey and Brian Thompson are serving on the committee, which will approach the city and Brownstown, Crothersville and Medora for 25 percent of their economic development income tax money.
City officials declined to commit the tax money the county requested during a March 27, 2017, city council meeting. Brownstown, Crothersville and Medora had earlier agreed to provide 25 percent of their EDIT revenues. The committee is approaching those communities again to formalize their agreements.
County council members said they did not provide enough clear communication the first time they requested funds from the city.
At the time, city councilmen said they were not in favor of the project because it moved Jackson Superior Court I from Seymour to Brownstown; it lacked taxpayer support and was not a top priority; and the council felt left out of conversations about the funding.
The county EDIT was established at a rate of 25 cents per $100 of income in 1998 to help fund construction of the jail and juvenile detention center. At that time, each of the county’s four municipalities received revenue from the tax and agreed to give up 25 cents of their shares to help fund construction of the jail and juvenile detention center, which opened in the summer of 2000 in Brownstown.
The bonds used to finance the jail and juvenile detention center, which was closed in early 2018 and converted to more jail beds, will be paid off at the end of June, freeing up revenue to pay for construction of the judicial center.
Seymour’s share of EDIT funds for that project was more than $275,000 annually. Brownstown paid more than $19,500 annually, while Crothersville paid $7,100 each year and Medora paid $2,700 each year.
The county initially planned to use the same arrangement to finance construction of the judicial center, which had a $12.14 million price tag.
If city officials now agree to support the funding for the judicial center, the city’s annual payment would be an estimated $300,000.
The judicial center opened in December at 109 S. Sugar St., and an open house was conducted Feb. 15.
County officials have said the judicial center is more efficient by consolidating the county’s three courts and staff in the same building. It also has room for a fourth court when needed and provides better security.
County council President Dave Hall said he was more hopeful this time around that city officials would provide the tax money.
He said the support should be there because the center is used by each community and even more so for Seymour.
“When you look at the arrest reports and the caseloads, what’s coming into our judicial center through the court system is mostly Seymour-related,” he said. “The rest of the communities do bring people in, but not to the level that Seymour does.”
Hall said without funding from Seymour, the county would still be able to pay for the project, but it would require a larger share of money from other accounts, such as the rainy day fund.
“We’ll pay for it, but it’s not going to be a fun process for us,” he said. “Losing out $300,000 would be difficult.”
Hall said he doesn’t think it will prevent the county from doing other projects if the county doesn’t receive the funding.
Councilman John Nolting said he had concerns about Seymour not signing the agreement because it could cause other municipalities to reconsider their support.
“What would prevent Brownstown and other communities from pulling out of their support?” he asked.
Seymour Mayor Craig Luedeman did not immediately return a call for comment.