A bill that would give Pulaski County a funding option for the renovation of the courthouse and expansion of the Justice Center now heads to the governor for final approval. The Indiana Senate passed House Bill 1052 on third reading Tuesday by a vote of 41-to-nine.
Bill sponsor Senator Ed Charbonneau explained that the historic courthouse is in need of some work. “It is deteriorating. It is falling. It is creating safety hazards,” he told senators. “They have had to close entrances. They’ve been looking for roughly five years for a way to pay for the reconstruction, and what they have come upon is, I think, a pretty unique solution.”
The way it would work is that a local income tax of three-tenths of a percent that’s currently in place to pay for the Justice Center would essentially be allowed to continue beyond its expiration date. “What it’ll end up being is just a continuation of the current tax,” Charbonneau explained. “It’ll be a new one, but it will start January 1 of next year, if the appropriate local parties pass the required legislation.”
It still remains to be seen whether the Pulaski County Council would use that option. With the county’s local income tax rate currently the highest in the state, some council members have expressed concern with extending part of it. Meanwhile, the county commissioners recently agreed to hire bond counsel and a municipal advisor to help with the financing.
The estimated $7.7 million renovation project would add a security checkpoint to the north entrance of the courthouse, while Circuit Court would move out of the building and into an expanded Justice Center.
In a statement Tuesday, the bill’s author, Representative Doug Gutwein, said that even though the courthouse has been neglected for the past several years, it’s not beyond repair, and having the funds available is the first step in making sure the courthouse remains in the community for generations to come.
