Kiowa County voters will go to the polls June 13 to decide whether to approve a countywide sales tax, which would provide funding for a new jail.
The county has proposed imposing a 1% sales tax, which would begin Oct. 1 of this year. The tax would expire either on Sept. 30, 2048, or after the county repays in full any debt secured by the tax.
Kiowa County’s sales tax rate is currently one half of 1%. If the proposed new sales tax passes, the county’s rate would increase to 1.5%. That’s in addition to the state’s sales tax rate of 4.5%.
The new sales tax would generate about $817,000 per year, Kiowa County Sheriff Joe Janz said Sunday in an email to a Southwest Ledger reporter. Proceeds from the tax would pay for converting the Hobart armory building, which is adjacent to the sheriff’s office, into a jail.
“The armory is currently used for the administrative office and sheriff’s office field operations, while the existing jail is by the county courthouse,” Janz said. “The remodel would put the jail and the other offices for the sheriff’s office in the same building.”
He said converting the armory into a jail would cost about $8.35 million, while building a standalone jail would cost about $12.5 million.
The current jail is about 119 years old and does not meet current state or federal standards, Janz said.
“There are issues with the building’s structural integrity, failing plumbing and electrical issues that we are continually repairing,” he said. “Also, the building is not handicapped accessible.”
He said the old jail is a historic building, and the Kiowa County commissioners would have to decide what to do with it if the sales tax passes.