Guthrie County is hosting several community meetings over the next couple months for its special election on issuing bonds for a law enforcement center addition and improvements to the courthouse parking lot.

The election will be on March 3rd asking voters if the County should enter into a loan agreement to issue no more than $8.7 million in general obligation bonds. Representatives from the County Board of Supervisors, Sheriff’s Office, architecture firm Shive-Hattery, and project manager The Samuels Group will be presenting at information meetings throughout the county, and the public also has the opportunity to tour the current jail at allotted times.

Sheriff Marty Arganbright shares why the County needs a new, larger jail, “It is a safety issue, it’s a safety issue with the employees here but it’s also a safety issue for the citizens that live in Guthrie County so that we have room to hold inmates that belong in jail and that are not out still wandering around on the streets or not where they need to be and getting the kind of help they need. It needs to happen so we can do that.”

The first information meeting will be on Tuesday, January 7th at 7 p.m. at the Menlo Community Building. For a link to the meeting schedule, and more information on the referendum, visit here.