After courthouse funding fails, here’s what happens next
By Brandi Makuski
Following Tuesday night’s unsuccessful vote to fund building a new justice center on a previously-approved greenfield site, city officials say its time to pivot.
But county leaders in charge of the project aren’t sure that future votes would look much different, under existing circumstances.
The Portage Co. Board of Supervisors previously approved constructing the new center on the greenfield site in a 15-10 vote on April 18. Since that vote, Supervisor Lionel Weaver of District 3 has resigned from the Board, but a special meeting on May 2 saw virtually the same vote tally, although in reverse, when funding for the project was rejected.
To approve the funding, 18 of the 24 Board members needed to vote in favor. Once Weaver’s spot is filled and the Board has all 25 members, a supermajority of 19 votes would be necessary.
County Board Chairman Al Haga said the issue will return at the county’s Space and Properties Committee on May 9, but the agenda item — approving the new justice center in the downtown location — is scheduled for a vote to permanently discard following the greenfield site approval. Whether the Committee will vote any differently than the 4-1 tally it granted to the greenfield site in April, is anyone’s guess, Haga said.
“I don’t see how that’s going to change,” Haga said following Tuesday night’s Board meeting. “What those 10 did to the 14 tonight, those 14 are going to do to the 10, because they don’t believe it should be downtown. You don’t stomp your feet when you don’t get what you want.”
Haga said regardless of how the Committee votes, the possibility of another funding vote isn’t possible until spring 2024.
“We can’t take this to the County Board again unless it’s something completely different so we’ll have to wait for another board to be seated,” Haga said. “Getting those 19 votes on the full board is almost unobtainable.”
Following the meeting, County Executive John Pavelski said he was still processing what happened.
“I’m disappointed for the judges, I’m disappointed for the sheriff’s department, and I think I’m disappointed for Portage County because I think this is needed,” Pavelski said. “I think politics were coming into play, when they shouldn’t.”
Stevens Point Mayor Mike Wiza, who spoke against relocation on Tuesday night, said he was happy with the results.
“I can say that I’m grateful that common sense prevailed. I’m glad people saw through the façade. The city remains, and will continue to be, a partner in this project,” Wiza said.
