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Last updated 5:52 pm CT November 20, 2009.
Plans To Build New Union County Courthouse
The current building in Jonesboro is 150 years old and crumbling.
Taxpayers are being asked to pitch in for the project.
That's right a new court house is expected to cost around 17 million dollars.
Funding would come from a proposed sales tax increase of 1%.
A referendum giving voters the choice will appear on the February ballot.
I took a tour to see why county leaders say the old courthouse needs to be replaced.
From the outside cracks and crumbling bricks make it easy to see the Union County Court House is past its prime.
Court House Committee
Wes Wilkins says, " The court house is almost to the point of being condemned."
Attorney Wes Wilkins, Sheriff David Livesay and County Commissioner Don Denny guided the tour.
They say one of the biggest problems is the court house is not handicapped accessible.
For instance the only public restroom is in the basement, "If you're a senior citizen that has trouble with steps there's no place you can use the restroom in this entire court house there isn't one that's accessible to you."Union County Sheriff David Livesay.
And when going up, be careful the steps are uneven.
Stairs are also necessary to reach the main courtroom a major inconvenience.
Wilkins says, "We have held court right there where those chairs are. For Court appearance because the fact that the court room up stairs was not handicap accessible and the one in the back was being occupied and we've had a judge stand right there and read people their rights."
Court notes and files fill the hallways.
Historic documents like these are put where ever there's room.
Public safety is another issue.
Convicted criminals must share the single exit with everyone else," we don't like to parade them through the general public but we have to." says Sheriff Livesay.
The estimated cost to clean up the mold, fix the wiring and repair the rotten roof is 6 million dollars." But it seems like we're just putting a bandaged on a gaping wound." says Wilkins.
That's why some feel this court house is beyond repair.
The people of the county are going to have a choice and I hope they make a good choice because we've got to have a new court house, "The people of the county are going to have a choice and I hope they make a good choice because we've got to have a new court house" says Wilkins.
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