It was supposed to bring jobs and revenue to Jones County and fund a needed new law enforcement center that housed a jail and office space for law enforcement.
But since the mutimillion dollar facility was finished two years ago, it remains empty.
"We got a contract from the state of Texas for an intermediate sanctions facility, we had the contract in place before we built the facility. And in June of 2010, a week after construction was completed we were told that the state did not need that facility," said Judge Dale Spurgin.
But since the Jones County needs a new jail, the county judge says they are moving forward with plans to buy the LEC from investors instead of waiting for the state facility to fund it.
Spurgin said, "We anticipate it is going got be 9 cents per hundred dollar evaluation, for a hundred thousand dollar home you are talking about 90 dollars in additional value."
But it will cost tax payers in property tax.
"We are trying to find a solution for the larger facility," said Spurgin.
And the rest of it will be paid for by leasing out some of the beds in the new jail.
The county is in charge of populating the building but it is not just a county issue, because of the empty building, the citizens of Anson are paying the highest water rates in the area.
"We had two options, repair a 60 year old facility or contract a new one," said Anson City Manager Bryan Grimes.
The city upgraded their water and sewage system expecting a sudden increase in population that never came, and they borrowed money to do it.
Now with out the extra thousand people in Anson, the city has to find money to pay back the loan.
Grimes said, "The cost of that loan is being passed on to the residents of Anson."
That's why the new city manager in Anson says it is vital that the state facility be populated.
Judge Spurgin says Jones County tax payers will start to see the new property tax in August.
But since the mutimillion dollar facility was finished two years ago, it remains empty.
"We got a contract from the state of Texas for an intermediate sanctions facility, we had the contract in place before we built the facility. And in June of 2010, a week after construction was completed we were told that the state did not need that facility," said Judge Dale Spurgin.
But since the Jones County needs a new jail, the county judge says they are moving forward with plans to buy the LEC from investors instead of waiting for the state facility to fund it.
Spurgin said, "We anticipate it is going got be 9 cents per hundred dollar evaluation, for a hundred thousand dollar home you are talking about 90 dollars in additional value."
But it will cost tax payers in property tax.
"We are trying to find a solution for the larger facility," said Spurgin.
And the rest of it will be paid for by leasing out some of the beds in the new jail.
The county is in charge of populating the building but it is not just a county issue, because of the empty building, the citizens of Anson are paying the highest water rates in the area.
"We had two options, repair a 60 year old facility or contract a new one," said Anson City Manager Bryan Grimes.
The city upgraded their water and sewage system expecting a sudden increase in population that never came, and they borrowed money to do it.
Now with out the extra thousand people in Anson, the city has to find money to pay back the loan.
Grimes said, "The cost of that loan is being passed on to the residents of Anson."
That's why the new city manager in Anson says it is vital that the state facility be populated.
Judge Spurgin says Jones County tax payers will start to see the new property tax in August.
