Monroe County Council

The deadline to run for the vacant seat on the Monroe County Council was Thursday.

Before running for county council in 2012, Munson served 16 years on the Indian Creek Township board.

The council decided on a 0.175 percent income tax increase to replace the existing Monroe County Jail, which the ACLU and sheriff’s office say is unsafe and beyond repair.

Commissioner Julie Thomas said the county needs to construct a new jail to replace its aging downtown facility as well as co-locate judicial services to the same site.

Monroe County Sheriff Ruben Marté is again imploring county officials to pick up the pace on establishing a new county jail, warning the community will face long-term consequences if they don't.

The Monroe County Council has tabled a motion to de-appropriate more than $10 million in local income tax bonds meant to go toward a new county jail.

A representative with Financial Services Group advised raising the tax from the current 0.01 percent to 0.2 percent. The tax was enacted this year and lasts for 25 years.

The Monroe County Council may consider de-appropriating funds that have gone toward consultants the county commissioners hired to help establish a new jail.

The Monroe County Commissioners say Sheriff Ruben Marté and the county council will choose the size and bed capacity of a new county jail, not the commissioners.

Tensions stirred among elected officials in Monroe County as the result of a draft letter from the Bloomington City Council regarding the convention center expansion project.