By a vote of 22-4, Shawano County supervisors agreed Sept. 23 to borrow $29 million for the first phase of what is expected to be a $121 million courthouse and jail project.
Supervisors Jeremy Gretzinger, Katharine Jacob, Curt Korth and Joe Miller opposed the borrowing. Supervisor Kimberly Leffel was absent.
Five residents spoke out against the plan, and former Supervisor Jerry Erdmann spoke in favor of it. A few of them even offered alternatives to the current building plan.
“Not a single one of your constituents agrees with this kind of money being spent,” said Shirley Hinze, of Shawano. “This is unaffordable. The people in our county are being stressed financially already, especially our farmers.”
Paul Hammond, of Bonduel, said the decision to build should have been settled through a referendum.
“People of Shawano County don’t want this,” he said.
Erdmann, of Tigerton, said the county has delayed the building project for too long.
“Everybody thinks this can be saved, but at what expense?” he asked. “We need to redo this building. We need to connect the courthouse with the sheriff’s department, because we cannot have prisoners walking up 3 feet from regular citizens, and they could be harmed. That would cost this county a fortune.
“It needs to be completed. Let’s get it done once and for all.”
The $121 million project includes constructing and equipping a new courthouse, a secure connection to the existing jail, a vehicle sally port, jail intake and support areas and a new inmate housing unit, as well as acquiring land and related furnishings, fixtures and equipment.
Carol Wirth, president and owner of Wisconsin Public Finance Professionals LLC, said 10 bids from lenders were received, with the best offer coming from Robert W. Baird in Milwaukee at 4.75% interest.
“That is phenomenal interest in the market,” she said. “What that tells everybody is that Shawano County is very well respected in the bond market.”
The 4.75% interest rate is half a percentage higher than what was projected earlier this year. The increase will cost taxpayers $12 instead of $11 for $100,000 of home value. The $29 million will be wired into a separate construction account Oct. 14. The county will also receive an additional $409,000 in premiums to be applied toward debt service.
Gretzinger pointed out that the $121 million in principal will also include nearly $80 million in interest over the 20 years, bringing the total cost of the project closer to $200 million.
He made a motion to table the resolution authorizing the borrowing of the $29 million until at least Nov. 18. He wanted a forensic audit conducted on the county’s purchase of property in 2023 related to the construction project.
Supervisor Kathy Luebke said the county cannot wait any longer.
“We cannot keep kicking this down the road,” she said. “It’s time to bite the bullet and do what’s right.”
County Board Chairman Tom Kautza agreed.
“The impact is just ludicrous how bad it would be,” he said. “They would never bond us again. That would be the end of bonding, because we would have a bad reputation.”
The motion to table was defeated 22-4, with Gretzinger, Miller, Jacob and Korth voting to table.
Two other borrowing phases totaling $92 million are expected to continue in 2027 and 2028.
In a related matter, the opening of the first pack of bids for the project has been moved from Sept. 30 to Oct. 7 at the request of several contractors, according to Kurt Berner, of The Samuels Group. The bids will be opened at 2:10 p.m. in the County Board Room.
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