County Council approves bond measure for highway garage

Bartholomew County officials have given approval to borrow up to $6 million dollars to build a new highway garage.

The county commissioners have proposed building a new highway facility on rural 25th Street on property currently owned by the county’s solid waste management district. The 11.25 acre property is next to the Clay Township Volunteer Fire Department station.

The current facility on State Street built in the 1950s is in poor condition, has maintenance facilities that are too small for modern vehicles and the property is not big enough to expand the current building. County Commissioners hope that a new garage could be built and ready to move into by the spring of 2020.

Tuesday night’s action by the council allows for the preparation of the bonds. The total cost for the proposal won’t be known until February. Then, the council must decide how much they want to bond. County officials say those funds would be repaid from existing income tax revenue, meaning no tax increases were necessary.