SEBRING — County commissioner districts may get some adjustment after the county has now gotten back its 2020 U.S. Census numbers.
The county may also have $10 million more available for expanding the Highlands County Jail if commissioners approve a request to refinance a 2015 note with a loan from infrastructure surtax.
Highlands County’s Board of County Commissioners meet at 9 a.m. today at 600 S. Commerce Ave. in Sebring.
An item on today’s agenda states that the county has a couple of options to get close to dividing each of the five districts into 20,247 people, for equal representation on the board.
Commissioners, although elected to “represent” a geographic area of the county,” serve at large and are elected by the entire population, now up to 101,235 people, according to the latest Census numbers.
All districts except District 4, represented by Commissioners Arlene Tuck, grew in population in the last 10 years. District 4 lost people while District 3, represented by Commissioner Scott Kirouac, grew at a larger rate than all others:
- District 1 (Kevin Roberts) — 19,147 people in 2010; now 19,171 people.
- District 2 (Kathy Rapp) — 20,045 people in 2010; now 20,743 people.
- District 3 (Kirouac) — 20,175 people in 2010; now 21,327 people.
- District 4 (Tuck) — 19,782 people in 2010; now 19,579 people.
- District 5 (Chris Campbell) — 19,637 people in 2010; now 20,145 people.
To balance this out, county staff have presented two options, both of which would increase Districts 1, 4 and 5 while reducing Districts 2 and 3. Each would deviate from the ideal equal amount of 20,247 people in each district. In Option 1, Districts 2 and 3 would each deviate by more than 3.5% more. In Option 2, District 1 would deviate by 4.55%, District 3 would deviate by 4.24% and District 4 would deviate by 2.95%.
Staff is recommending Option 1, according to staff analysis included in the agenda packet, because deviation percentages are overall smaller and that option pulls all of the unincorporated area of Avon Park into District 1 and puts the remaining Lake Sebring subdivision into District 2.
Also, the county has an agenda item today to issue up to $21.7 million from the infrastructure sales surtax refunding revenue note to cover various costs, including the outstanding refunding revenue note from 2015; construction, acquisition, design, renovation and equipment for various capital improvements — including the jail expansion — and the cost of issuing the note.
County staff is suggesting, according to the agenda, that after putting $11.58 million toward refinancing the 2015 bond, the county would have a net increase of just less than $10.13 million to go toward the initial phase of expanding the jail.
The last major expansion of the jail took place 20 years ago, when the county also expanded the Highlands County Courthouse with a basement jury selection room, an atrium, four courtrooms on two floors and a third floor for judges’ offices.
At that time, the jail expanded to 500 beds, although Highlands County Sheriff’s Office officials have said that the need to separate various classifications of inmates means that the jail is effectively “at capacity” when close to or at 90% full.
