Despite voters saying no to the millage this past November, Tuscola County polls are open until 8:00 p.m. tonight for a special election to see if the voters have changed their mind about a proposal by the county and sheriff to upgrade and/or replace the jail.
The millage appearing on the ballot for the Tuesday, August 8 special election reads: “Shall the County of Tuscola, State of Michigan, borrow the principal sum not to exceed Forty-Four Million Dollars ($44,000,000), and issue its unlimited tax general obligation bonds, in one or more series, payable in not to exceed thirty (30) years, to pay the cost of constructing, furnishing and equipping a new Tuscola County Jail and Sheriff’s Facility, including parking, landscaping, access roadways and other appurtenances?”
According to Tuscola County Sheriff Glenn Skrent, the facilities are in desperate need of renovation or replacement, with the Sheriff’s Office offering tours of the jail throughout the past year, as they did before the November election, to let voters get a full picture. However, a tour won’t answer the more pressing questions of opposed citizens, such as a breakdown of how the $44 million will be spent during the project.
If the millage is approved in today’s special election, the estimated millage to be levied the first year is 0.9800 mills ($0.98 per $1,000 of taxable value) and the estimated simple average annual millage rate required to retire the bonds is 0.9521 mills ($0.95 per $1,000 of taxable value).
