Benton County is still working out the details of a public safety bond that’s likely going before voters next May. It’s part of an ongoing effort to replace the aging county courthouse and jail.
The details and total amount of the bond are yet to be determined, because the county wants to incorporate funding from other sources. Nick Kurth [KERTH] is the program manager for the Benton County Justice System improvement project.
“So, on the one hand, we want to be specific in our proposal and our bond language, but also recognize that because there’s additional funding that’s needed that is uncertain, we may have to pivot at some point in the future," said Nick Kurth, program manager for the Benton County Justice System improvement project. "So we also want our bond language to be flexible enough to accommodate that.”
County commissioners decided this week that some of the bond measure would help fund homelessness services. The money would expand an existing drop-in center for unhoused people in Corvallis.
Commissioners pointed to a pair of community surveys conducted earlier this year that indicated strong support for including homelessness services in any upcoming taxpayer-funded bond.
