Starkville registered voters can vote today on a public referendum for a $9 million bond issue to build Police Department and Municipal Court buildings.
The proposed location of the Police Department is the corner of South Jackson and East Lampkin streets, with the corner of North Lafayette and Jefferson streets as the proposed location for the Municipal Court.
The projected cost of the bond for residents under 65 years of age in a home or building appraised at $100,000 is less than $4 a month. The cost for those with commercial or rental properties appraised at $100,000 is about $6 a month.
Officials said the need for the facilities is absolutely vital.
“They [the buildings] are long overdue. Our police have had to make do with a much smaller space than they need for a much longer time than they needed to,” Starkville Ward 4 Alderman Richard Corey said.
Plans for the Police Department calls for 26,319 square feet at an estimated cost of more than $6 million.
The Municipal Court building would be just over 9,700 square feet at an estimated cost of nearly $2.1 million.
“The combined total cost will be over $8 million, but the bond is for $9 million to provide room for additional costs,” Corey said.
Starkville Police Chief David Lindley said the current department has 51 sworn officers, and they hope to increase to 70 officers within the next 10 years.
He said a new facility is needed in order to do this.
“We’ve been in our current facility since 1968, and it is shared with city court. In 1970 the population of Starkville was 11,000 and in 2000 the population was at 22,000. We have doubled the population but are still in the same building,” Lindley added.
Lindley said he encourages all registered city voters to support the referendum.
“It’s something we have to do sooner or later, and it will be more expensive if we wait.” Lindley said.
The original bond was for $5 million through the United States Department of Agriculture. Corey said a few factors have caused the increase of the cost. “[Hurricane] Katrina has driven building costs up, and there is a slightly higher cost associated with building downtown,” he said.
Mayor Dan Camp has received some of the criticism for the downtown locations of the buildings.
“I think it’s worth saying too, while people that disagree with this downtown location take out frustrations on Dan Camp, it is ultimately the board’s decision,” Corey said.
The downtown locations will help to revitalize some of the neighborhoods in the downtown area, he said.
“I believe that a number of us feel that putting these buildings downtown will increase other downtown developments leading to more revenue for the city,” he added.
Junior international business major Scott Montgomery lives in an apartment off campus and said he understands the need for a new police department.
“I wouldn’t mind paying $4 or $6 more a month. I think a new police department is necessary for the town to grow. You need to have a strong infrastructure,” he said.