Sign outside of the Portage County Courthouse and Stevens Point's City Hall. Image courtesy: WAOW TV
STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) – The Portage County Board voted against moving forward with a new administration and government center outside of Downtown Stevens Point.
Dozens of residents showed up to voice their concerns about the cost of the project. One resident said,”$180 million is ridiculous to spend on something when you don’t have all the facts.”
Another resident also showed up to criticize the plan saying, “I would defiantly vote no on 180 million dollars now, I would not know what to do with it and I don’t think you do either.”
Many other residents and board members acknowledged that a new justice center is needed but differed on what is at stake when it comes to cost. Some members believed that if the project was voted down tonight that the next project would be even more expensive.
One member sided with the residents and believed that a better plan could be proposed that involved a possible downtown Stevens Point site while another member believed that plan was not truly viable.
“If there is a prospective green space within the city…it has not been shared with me or other supervisors that I’m aware of,” another member said.
After hours of discussion and public comment, the board voted 14-10 against the project, with 18 votes required for passage. It is unclear where it will go as there is no alternative plan at this time.
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