Voters in Buena Vista County on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a multi-million dollar bond issue for a new law enforcement center. The measure passed with 72-point-six percent approval. 60-percent approval was needed.
The four-point-eight million dollar bond issue is for a new 41-bed jail and sheriff’s department. The new jail will replace the present 30-year-old facility in the courthouse. The current jail holds 18 inmates… often requiring additional prisoners to be held in adjacent counties.
In addition, females and juveniles are held in other facilities. Tuesday’s vote was vastly different from the previous bond issue for a new Buena Vista County Jail. In February of 2000, a five-point-seven million dollar bond issue for a 58-bed jail received approval from only 18-point-eight percent of voters.