The Wakefield Republican -

The Dixon County Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution to ask voters to consider a $20 million bond for a new courthouse at their meeting on December 19 with a special mail-in election planned for this May.
Information was released to the Republican this week, following a November update from Supervisor Lisa Lunz (who serves on the Jail and Courthouse Committee as well) and the December vote on the resolution.
“We want the voters of Dixon County to ask questions and make an informed decision on this issue,” said Lunz via her press release.
Lunz also mentioned, to that end, that informational brochures had been mailed to all residents of Dixon County this week, and should be arriving in mailboxes next week.
The $20 million price tag has been attached to an entirely new construction along Highway 12 in Ponca, as viewable as one of the 12 location options presented at the committee level and previously reported on.
The new structure would reside on a piece of land just south of the current “Existing Annex Building” as shown on the map, southwest across Highway 12 from Z-Mart. The land is currently owned by “J21 Land & Cattle Company” with mailing going to a local Ponca address.
The new county building, which will serve as a new courthouse and new jail, bringing the original 1883 and 1940 addition.
The brochures give the reasons for “not renovating” the current courthouse, “reasons to build a new facility” and outline issues with the current facility that have brought the issue to bear.
The reverse side of the brochure gives some details of the costs of the project, noting the $20 million price tag, as well as an estimate for the bond which will raise funds through an additional tax levy.
The levy was estimated at 9.5 cents per $100 (or .00095 “mills”) of valuation to cover the payments on the $20 million, over 20 years, at an estimated 5 percent would cost the taxpayers a total of $31,677,875 over the term of the bond ($11.6 million in interest).
The 5% interest is expected, or hoped, said Lunz, to be a high estimate, but the proposed levy should raise around $1.64 million per year to service the $1.58 million in payments each year on the $20 million.
Tax increases provided on the brochure were calculated according to the highest valuation found in the county in four categories – residential property, irrigated agricultural land, non-irrigated agricultural land and grassland.
Residential Property
$75,000 value; $71.25 annually
$100,000 value: $95.00 annually
$250,000 value: $237.50 annually
$500,000 value: $475.00 annually
Irrigated
$6,780/acre
80A: $515.28 annually
Quarter: $1,029.31 annually
Section: $4,122.24 annually
Non-Irrigated
$6,600/acre
80A: $501.60 annually
Quarter: $1,011.09 annually
Section: $4,025.40 annually
Grassland
$2,795/acre
80A: $212.42 annually
Quarter: $424.84 annually
Section: $1,699.36 annually