- Greenville, the Hunt County Commissioners Court is working on a future referendum on the building a new county jail and sheriff’s office. The Greenville Herald-Banner reports that commissioners voted unanimously at their last meeting to approve a letter of proposal for architectural and engineering firms to design the job. County Judge Bobby Stovall told the Herald-Banner that commissioners have a steering committee working on the specifics of the proposed project.
- County officials expect to spend about $29,000 for the services of Grace Hebert Curtis Architects of Dallas. That’s the same firm that helped the county design a proposal that appeared as a bond item on local ballots in 2021. In November of last year, Hunt County voters rejected a bond proposal for the construction of a new jail. It was a narrow vote, with about 51-1/2 percent of ballots against the bond.
- The current jail was built in 2003, but has been plagued with major structural issues almost from the beginning. The Herald Banner reports the county has won about $6 million in lawsuits over the years related to the jail’s poor construction, and that those funds have largely gone into investments to keep the current building operational.