Bid packages were awarded and finance options were discussed for the new Washington County Communications building project at the county supervisors meeting Tuesday. The total cost to construct the building to house dispatch and an emergency operations center is $3.6 million. The work is separated into five different contracts and phases, to see the break down of cost and the companies awarded bids look below.

Michael Hart with Northland Securities presented two options to finance the project. One option would be to have the $7.8 million in new bonds mature in 2029 by raising the taxes slightly while the other would be to have it mature in 2030 without raising taxes but pay an additional $100,000 in interest. Washington County Treasurer Jeff Garrett explained the difference to taxpayers, “Over the life of the bonds, the extra $100,000 wouldn’t be a huge amount every year of extra interest that you’re paying. I mean, it will impact people’s taxes. If you’re looking at the levy being about six cents higher, you know, you’d be about $6 for every $100,000 of taxable value. Which would be about a … $175,000-house you’d have an extra $6 in taxes.” The supervisors unanimously approved to go with the second option with additional $100,000 interest and no additional increase to taxes. Hart will return to the supervisors in two weeks to lock in the bond sale.

In total the county’s general obligation bonds combined for the radio equipment and building projects is $11.3 million.

Contract Construction Packages:
Package 1: DeLong Construction Inc. – $229,200
Package 2: Peak Construction Group Inc. – $1,173,259
Package 3: Gary Sanders Masonry, Inc. – $492,744
Package 4: Frank Millard Company, Inc. – $573,500
Package 5: Mohrfield Electric, Inc. – $845,000
Total – $3,609,628