The vote on whether to fund a law enforcement center addition to replace the decades-old Guthrie County Jail with an $8.7 million bond referendum is coming up, and residents are advised that if the referendum doesn’t pass now, it will end up being more expensive later.

It’s estimated that the construction costs of this project increase by four percent annually, and if it requires multiple elections for the referendum to pass, it will also bring added costs of administering and advertising for those elections. The County has been hosting community meetings to inform the public about the need for a new facility, and Sheriff Marty Arganbright says residents often ask him why they need a new jail, “We inform people at the meeting and we’re informing the public that it’s something that we have to do because of the state Code of Iowa that regulates the way we run a jail. So we have to meet those and also for just the safety of the staff and the safety of the citizens.”

The current jail has a 10 person capacity, something that maybe was suitable over 50 years ago when it was built. The new facility would include at least 28 beds, and include five classifications and four intake holding cells. One improvement is that they’ll be able to hold both men and women, when currently they’ve been transporting female inmates to neighboring county jails. The election is scheduled for March 3rd, and absentee voting is available. For more information on the referendum and the community meeting schedule, visit this story at raccoonvalleyradio.com.