Voters pass jail bond by 80 percent margin

This was the fourth time the county had sought a new jail.

After four tries county officials were smiling from ear to ear Tuesday night when voters approved the $7.5 million bond proposal to build a new jail for Elmore County.

In a relatively light turnout, 79.87 percent of the voters said "yes" to the plan, which required a two-thirds majority to pass. The preliminary vote, which has yet to be canvassed, had 1,854 voters saying "yes" to 467 saying "no."

"I'm basically in awe, right now," said Sheriff Rick Layher, who had seen three previous attempts go down to defeat since 1992. "Now we can do what we need to do for the citizens and the county," he said. The current jail had been rated the worst in the state.

"We're real happy," the sheriff said of the result. "We want to thank all the citizens for their support, the publicity committee that worked so hard to get the word out, and County Clerk Gail Best and the commissioners, who were always there for us."

County officials, and the commissioners in particular, had actively campaigned for the measure, something that hadn't always been true in previous attempts.

The new jail, which will be more than 28,000 square feet, will be built on land above the golf course. The cost is estimated to be $4.08 a month for a $100,000 home over the 15-year life of the bond.

The proposal calls for a 136-bed jail and dispatch center that will meet all current standards. The sheriff's administrative and patrol offices, as well as the driver's license bureau, will remain in the Law Enforcement Building.