Ground broken on Jefferson County Courthouse expansion
Published at | Updated at
RIGBY – A new annex building in Jefferson County means the county prosecutor and others will soon be closer to the courthouse.
Jefferson County Commissioners broke ground on the new addition Wednesday morning. It will house planning, zoning and building, parks and recreations, commissioners, probation and the prosecutor’s office.
“It will be more convenient,” Paul Butikofer, the county prosecutor, told EastIdahoNews.com. “It will save the county money from not having to rent from different people.”
The prosecutor’s office and probation are currently spread between one to three miles away from the courthouse.
Butikofer said the new building will facilitate better interdepartmental cooperation.
“You’re around each other more,” he said. “So, it’s easier to stop by. It’s easier to retrieve items. It’s easier to bring victims to the court to show them around and what to expect. It’s easier to get with the public defender (as) he’ll be in the main courthouse here.”
The building will be three floors and includes a basement, ground floor and second story totaling around 25,000 square feet.
Additionally, space for youth and community programs will be available along with a large assembly room for meetings and public hearings.
County leaders said taxes will not be increased to pay for the building as money will come from the federal government and Jefferson County’s Capital Building Fund.