Voters in Haywood County will have an official say in how their new courthouse and justice center will be financed.

County commissioners have decided to put the financing of the $36.6 million project - the largest ever in the county - to a vote of the people.

“We have to build it whether the referendum passes or not,” said County Manager Jack Horton.

At stake on Nov. 6 is whether the county will use general obligation bonds or certificate of participation bonds. The GO bonds usually have a lower interest rate because they require voter approval. The rate difference varies, but it averages about a point, said Horton.

“On this size project, that can be a lot of money,” he said.

The referendum puts critics of the project in the position of perhaps voting for it. If voters who don’t approve of the size and cost of the justice center and jail marshall forces to defeat the referendum, the overall cost of the project will rise because the interest rate will increase.

The Enterprise Mountaineer reported the stand-alone Nov. 6 referendum could cost up to $20,000.

 

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