Put jail bond issue on ballot

To the Editor:

A grass-roots group hopes to persuade Madison County voters in signing a petition that will force an $18.8 million bond issue for jail renovations on the March ballot.

Volunteers have been collecting signatures since the Madison County Board approved the sale of the bonds on Oct. 16 to finance the renovation project. They will need to gather 17,722, which is 10 percent of the county’s registered voters – the number required by law to get a referendum on the ballot.

Several Republican county board members brought up issues about borrowing the money during its September meeting. The discussion led the board tabling the matter for a month.

The group, "Bonds on Ballot", is circulating petitions and invites anyone interested in volunteering to contact them. Contact volunteer Rod Spears at 618-623-2796, or by email at bondsonballot@gmail.com.

The group is also asking the public to “like” its Facebook page www.facebook.com/madcobondsonballot where it can inquire about volunteer opportunities

This is not a law enforcement issue-- it's a tax issue.

This $18 million works out to be $60,000 per cell.  That is a pretty good room upgrade for jail inmates.

The real issue is whether or not the politicians or the voters should decide on how to fund this.  $18 million in bonds equals about a 4 percent tax increase.

Call or email if you have any questions, but this is a serious issue and another example of Madison County Democrats wild spending and disregard for the voters.

Don Weber

Alton