Stearns County Voters Approve Sales Tax for $325 Million Criminal Justice Center; Joe Perske Wins Re-election as County Commissioner

(KNSI) – Stearns County voters have approved a sales tax to cover the $325 million price tag for a new criminal justice center.

The 3/8 cent tax received 50,236 yes votes to 30,467 no votes. The tax will be collected for the next 30 years or until the project is paid off, whichever comes first. The average residential property in Stearns County is valued at $259,000, and the homeowner would pay an estimated $85 a year in sales tax.

The facility would include a jail, courtrooms, a sheriff’s department and county attorney offices. It would be built outside of downtown St. Cloud on a yet-to-be-determined property. The building must remain in the city because it is the county seat.

In the race for Stearns County commissioner in District 2, Joe Perske easily won reelection getting 61.82% of the vote to Jerry Theisen’s 37.8%.

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