At the conclusion of Tuesday’s lengthy Carroll County Board of Supervisors meeting, two residents of the City of Carroll, brought forth their concerns about the location of the new jail. This came after the board had voted, four in favor and one against, Dean Schettler, to award the bid to Badding Construction Company of Carroll at $10.93 million so they could move forward with negotiating cost reductions. The board had also approved a notice to proceed by the same margin which states the project could begin as soon as Monday, Sept. 23, with an 18 to 21 month completion timeline. The first to speak, Barry Bruner, said he has not been a fan of the jail location since it was proposed. However, he will always respect the supervisors’ decisions as the governing body. He then went on to read a letter presented by a downtown business owner, John Sklenar. Sklenar wrote that the placement is damaging to Carroll, not only because it is keeping it in the downtown business district, but also because it will reduce street parking by four spaces. He says his decision to purchase a building he currently rents will be negatively impacted.
Sklenar closed by saying he comes from a line of law enforcement and is not opposed to the jail, but claims private enterprise is the foundation of the community, not the government. Bruner spoke personally about his concerns with the judicial facilities provided to the court system and in addressing the needs of the future prospect of potential regionalization. Vicki Gach, who has previously voiced her opinion on the location of the jail, also spoke again at Tuesday’s meeting. She presented the board with a copy of materials that she had sought out, but admitted they were not necessarily the most up-to-date figures as they were not always available to her. She said she is not in opposition to the jail itself, but again voiced her assertion that voters were not given a choice on that location. She also talked about the referendum amount of $8.95 million that was passed by a super majority and its impact on the county’s tax levy when added to other projects they have in the works.
Neil Bock answered to Gach’s tax concerns, reminding her and those present that Carroll County’s levy rate is the second lowest in the state, higher only than Dickenson County.
Audio from this portion of the meeting can be found below.
