Knox County is using its landfill to try and kickstart long overdue repairs at its courthouse. The county board agreed during its February meeting to transfer funds from its landfill fund to fund repairs at the courthouse.
The transfer amount is $1 for each ton of garbage the county collects. Last year, the landfill generated $3,296,251 in revenues.
Board member Greg Bacon estimated it will raise around $90,000 each year to tackle projects at the courthouse. But he said it would take a little while for the money to build up. Bacon said electrical work that needs to be done at the courthouse could cost around $650,000, but added that work could be done in phases. The courthouse also needs work done on its fire escape and plumbing.
County Clerk Scott Erickson something needed to be done before the problems and costs to fix them became worse.
“The years that the board hadn’t spent money on things is now…it’s kinda coming home to roost. And they’re trying to keep from playing catch up as much as they did in the past,” Erickson said.
Erickson said the money’s main purpose will be for courthouse repairs, but added there could be wiggle room.
“The Building Committee was basically focusing on the courthouse, so the main emphasis will be the courthouse facilities. That’s not to say if there’s a project at one of the other facilities that they needed some money, they might be able to allocate some funds to that,” Erickson said.
The board could reassess after a year if the transfer could increase or if new fees will be established for the courthouse repair fund.
