MADISON (WKOW) – The Dane County Board of Supervisors agreed on Thursday to go with Miron Construction Company's bid for the Dane County Jail Consolidation Project, ending a lengthy debate on the budget.
Bidding for the project began in September 2023 and closed in November of the same year. However, the county received only one bid, which exceeded the budget by $27.6 million. Initially, the project was budgeted at nearly $180 million which covered the construction of a new six-story tower and renovations to parts of the public safety building.
In January, during a County Board meeting, supervisors voted 31-5 to raise the total project budget to just over $207 million in order to accept the bid. This increase resulted in an additional charge of $12.68 for the average homeowner.
During public comment, some critics argued the project was unnecessary and that the money could be better spent elsewhere. However, county officials defended the decision by saying the poor conditions of the existing jail have led to some inmates being relocated to neighboring facilities in Iowa, Rock, and Oneida counties due to space limitations in Dane County.
Many county officials were concerned that rejecting the bid could lead to even higher costs in the future. According to Sheriff Barrett, this is something Dane County has needed and has been working toward for many years.
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