OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Douglas County plans to spend $10 million in federal funds intended for coronavirus relief aid on its new justice center complex.
After hours of debate, the county board voted Tuesday to allocate the money for additional costs for the $120 million justice center complex, The Omaha World-Herald reported.
Board member Clare Duda said more than $3 million of the money will be used for things such as anti-microbial surfaces and larger conference rooms that were made necessary by the coronavirus pandemic. About $7 million will pay for costs caused by inflation while the project was delayed by a lawsuit.
The board voted in September to allocate $26.5 million for public safety and public health expenses, out of the $166 million the county received through CARES Act funding. The $10 million is part of that allocation.
Board member Jim Cavanaugh, a longtime opponent of the juvenile detention center, said the $10 million should instead be used to help people suffering because of the pandemic.
Board member Mike Boyle said he voted in favor of the allocation on Tuesday only because he plans to try and reverse the decision in January, when Duda and Marc Kraft are no longer on the board.