Nacogdoches County residents in Texas approved a $75 million bond measure Tuesday that will fund construction of a new county jail. Proposition A passed with 63 percent of the vote.
The new facility will accommodate 570 inmates, nearly double the 300-bed capacity of the existing jail built more than three decades ago. County officials cited overcrowding and the need for improved medical and mental health services as primary reasons for the project.
Property owners will see a tax increase to finance the bond. For a home valued at $100,000, the annual property tax increase will be $90.
County leaders estimate construction will take several years. They plan to solicit design proposals from architectural firms in the coming months. Once a design is finalized, the county will issue a request for proposals to select a construction contractor.
Photo by Gordon Incorporated, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, from Wikimedia Commons
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