Scott County commissioners put sales tax issue on April ballot

BENTON — The Scott County Courthouse is 112 years old and in a serious state of disrepair in multiple places.

Scott County Presiding Commissioner Danny Tetley detailed the various repairs needed for the courthouse.

"Our courthouse is 112 years old now, and we have some exterior brick work that is going to have to be completed because we have crumblings that are starting to fall from the top of the building," Tetley said.

Last month, the Scott County Commission — Tetley, First District Commissioner Terry Cole and Second District Commissioner Donnie Kiefer — decided to place a half-cent law enforcement sales tax on the Tuesday, April 2, ballot. The tax, if approved by voters, would help fund all county departments because it would free up money in the county's general revenue fund, Tetley said.

Tetley referenced the 130-year-old Bollinger County Courthouse in Marble Hill, which engineers deemed unsafe in December. County offices are being relocated, and circuit court has been canceled when inclement weather could pose a danger.

The top of the Scott County Courthouse on Thursday, Feb. 1, in Benton.Gina Williams ~ Standard Democrat

"We don't want to get into that same situation here at Scott County," Tetley said. "We also need to update the lighting in the courthouse and the windows. These windows are the same windows that were put in 112 years ago and they are not going to be efficient."

Tetley explained the importance of the repairs.

"You see, this courthouse is old but it is beautiful, and there is so much history here," Tetley said. "We want to take care of it and maintain it so that we can use it for another 50 or 60 years."

According to Tetley, parts of the top of the courthouse on the outside of the building are breaking off and falling down. Tetley said that it is a safety hazard, so it is critical that they have the funds to repair it.

"If someone were to be walking through here to come into the courthouse, and that stuff that fell, it could hurt someone," Tetley said.

The top of the Scott County Courthouse on Thursday, Feb. 1, in Benton.Gina Williams ~ Standard Democrat

Tetley also said several of the windows are deteriorating and need to be replaced.

"Also, there are some big cracks on the facade of the building on the outside," Tetley said.

According to Tetley, the county now lacks funding to begin the project, which is why passing the law enforcement tax is important.

"The only reason we are pushing for the law enforcement tax is because it's the only tax we have at our disposal that we can try to pass; otherwise, we would have to wait two years, and I don't think the courthouse can wait that long," Tetley said.

According to Tetley, the sheriff currently receives $4 million from the county's general revenue for his department's budget. If the law enforcement sales tax passes, it will provide the sheriff's office with $2.5 million, allowing the county to give $1.5 million from general revenue to the department, and freeing more funds to do the repairs that the courthouse desperately needs, he said.

"Also, the one thing I want to be perfectly clear on is that we aren't passing the law enforcement tax for us, but we are passing the law enforcement tax to bolster the sheriff's budget, but it also frees up money for our budget," Tetley said.

In addition to upkeep of the county's buildings and grounds, funds would also be used for the county's road and bridge improvements and other needs.