SAC COUNTY – The jail in Northern Iowa’s Sac county has outlived its useful life and is a safety risk, and voters will decide in the November elections whether to pay up and replace it.
According to the Sac County Sheriff’s Office:
On September 13, 1939, the Sac County Board of Supervisors received bids to construct the current Sac County Jail (pictured at top via Google). Some 85 years later, we are still using this jail. It has long outlived its lifetime. The Sac County Jail according to the state jail inspector is the second oldest jail in the state of Iowa. Pocahontas County has the oldest. They are currently constructing a new one. Currently, your jail does not meet standards. The state jail inspector’s yearly reports state that our jail, however well maintained, is a security and safety risk to inmates, staff, and the public.
On August 20, the Sac County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to put on the November 5, 2024, general election ballot a proposition to approve a 10.9-million-dollar bond to replace our out-of-date jail and an addition to the current law enforcement center. This would be a two-phased project with a new jail being constructed across the street from the current jail. Once that is opened, phase two will begin with demolishing the current jail and adding on to the law enforcement center, connecting the two buildings.
The tax impact on residents will be $.0579983 per $1,000 of your taxable valuation. If your home has a taxable valuation of $200,000.00, it will cost you $4.29 per month or $51.42 per year. A commercial property valued at $250,000.00 will see a tax impact of $10.87 per month or $130.46 annually. 40 acres of agricultural land will be $2.43 per month or $29.16 annually.
Between now and October 15, 2024, we plan to hold town hall meetings, offer tours of our current jail, and discuss with you the need to build a new jail.