More debt is about to be added to the tab for taxpayers living in Potter County.
This week, the Potter County Commissioners’ Court voted 4-1 to approve the issuance of $54 million in certificates of obligation to build a new district courthouse for the County. The motion to approve the issuance of the debt was made by Judge Nancy Tanner, with nearly the entire Commission voting to approve the package. Mercy Murguia, a Potter County Democrat, was the lone vote against the debt issuance.
In an interview with KAMR-TV, Judge Tanner said she supported using the certificates of obligation to pay for the Courthouse project, due to concerns that voters could vote against the project, if a bond election for the courthouse were to be sent to voters.
“The local government code allows us to do COs it is the quickest and easiest way to do this,” Tanner said. “If we do a bond election it could fail, I'm not trying to hide anything from the taxpayer, I certainly am not, all I am asking for them to do is to walk through that building and they will know why we are in such a necessity for a new building.”
No official expenditures have been made on building the new courthouse. According to appraisal records, the current courthouse was built in 1987.
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