VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – A petition is circulating to protest the resolution passed by the Barnes County Commission related to the lease purchase financing of the new county jail. Under the resolution passed on July 7th a new jail and dispatch center would be constructed and funded over a 30 year period. Petition committee chairman Terry Brock believes this will present a significant burden on the taxpayers.

On July 21st, Commissioner Vicki Lovell questioned the Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) in a section of the resolution moving from $15.8 to $16.5 million. But Bond Finance Attorney Scott Wegner who represents the company working with the lease purchase financing said the $16.5 million dollar figure was an estimate and does not reflect the final construction cost.

He said no building authority is a part of this financing.

He explained the financing process.

Wegner said a final monthly payment will be locked in at a later date.

On August 4th the Barnes County Commission unanimously passed a motion to affirm their lease-purchase financing resolution following the presentation by Bond Finance Attorney Scott Wegner. The full presentation is attached right here.

Commissioner Vick Lovell said she supports the jail but had questions about the financing mechanism. She also wanted to set the record straight, that she is not circulating a petition protesting this resolution after someone said she was earlier this week.

In 2019, the North Dakota Department of Corrections said the current Barnes County jail is unsafe for inmates and staff members. At that time, the state gave the county two options, build a new jail or shut down the current facility.

On July 22nd, the contractor pulled a city building permit for $13.8 million to construct the new Barnes County jail.

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