The County of Jasper has been selected to be awarded $565,615 from the Illinois Energy Transition Community Grant. This grant is tailored for communities such as ours who have been affected by the closure of coal-fired plants due to the Illinois Energy Transition Act. This is a multi-year award meaning the county will be eligible for this grant for several years. In order to receive the funds, the county had to submit a project proposal to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development. This proposal is pending approval. Should it be approved, with that amount of money being awarded every year, the Board has voted to utilize these funds towards the construction of a new courthouse or rehabilitation of the existing structure. (No design or layout has been discussed, that has been tabled pending the approval of the project.) If it is not approved, we will reevaluate and discuss a revised proposal or identify where the money could best be utilized. In order to properly inform the public, we would like to share the main reasons as to why the Board feels it is necessary to move forward with this project, should it be approved.
Loss of Historical Appearance
The courthouse was constructed in 1877. We understand the desire to maintain our community history, but as you can see from the photographs, the courthouse no longer remotely resembles its original structure. Also, because of the significant changes it has undergone from its original design, this building is no longer eligible to be certified as a historical structure. Opinions from contractors assess the cost of a renovation of the current building would be greater than a new construction.
The Current State of Disrepair
The courthouse is nearing 150 years old. As with any old building, it is in a constant state of needing repair. Water leaks through the roof and walls, causing material to rot. Plaster is falling from the ceiling. And several areas are not up to State Code. Since 2016, the county has spent a quarter million dollars in repairs. This cost does not reflect routine upkeep and upgrades. These repairs are sometimes only temporary fixes, causing more tax dollars to be spent on an ongoing problem.
Taxpayer Relief
This building will eventually need to be replaced. With the option of using these grant funds towards the construction of a new courthouse, the fiscally responsible thing to do for Jasper County taxpayers is to utilize this grant money, in lieu of tax dollars, towards the construction of a new courthouse. If we do not do this now, taxpayer money will have to be used to replace the courthouse in the future.
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