A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon for the new Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center. The new facility is located on 28th street just off of Highway 75.
Controversy surrounds some of the funding for the facility. In March of last year, voters approved a bond issue of more than $50 million for the project. The Woodbury County Law Enforcement Authority now puts the total price tag at about $65 million.
The County Board of Supervisors allocated $15.6 million in Federal COVID-19 relief money to cover the higher costs.
This moved raised concern with local advocates who plan to hold a protest before the ground breaking. They say the county is not adhering to guideless set up by the U.S. Treasury surrounding Federal funding.
We wanted more insight on the issue, so we reached out to a former member of the Woodbury County Supervisors who knows how the board operates. Marty Pottebaum served for four years before losing re-election last fall. He was the lone Democrat on the board at the end of his one term.
Here is what he has to say to Siouxland Public Media's Sheila Brummer about the jail and his thoughts on the county’s response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The Sioux City Journalreported Woodbury County was expected to receive around $20 million in federal funding to cover costs and budget shortages related to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Pottebaum currently serves at head of security at Briar Cliff University.
