Will the third time be the charm for Franklin County leaders wanting the public to approve a referendum for a new courthouse?
Or, will it be fought tooth and nail, and go down in defeat as it has the previous two times it has been on the ballot?
Those are questions the Franklin County Board considered during its finance committee meeting Monday.
Chairman Randall Crocker brought up the subject for discussion.
"The problem hasn't gone away," Crocker said while asking for board input.
The board tabled a $3,850 estimate for a section of the roof that needs attention.
"Somehow, we've got to turn their (voters) thinking around," Crocker said. "That building won't work."
In addition to needed roof repairs, David Rea said, "There is a potential for a catastrophe. We have electrical problems, we have a problem with the elevator, and we are on a wing and prayer with the heating system."
Security is non-existent, another board member responded.
"What if there was a catastrophe? What would you do?" asked Circuit Clerk Jim Muir. Another Board member asked the sheriff, "Where would you hold court, in the civic center?"
"They (voters) turn a deaf ear to me about upping any money," Jack Warren responded. "People paying taxes are law-abiding citizens who don't need the courthouse."
Muir said that while conducting public meetings around the county prior to the most recent defeated referendum, the most prevalent argument was the county had no definite plans. Voters questioned where the new courthouse would be located and what would happen with the current facility.
"We gave them two options and they wanted one," he said.
Neal Hargis said the proposed 1 cent sales tax was not understood by the public.
"I think what they didn't understand is a lot of that money (sales tax) comes off the interstate, probably more than one-third," he said.
Another board member heavily involved in the public meetings prior to the last vote, Tom Vaughn, said less than 20 percent of the registered voters bothered to cast a vote on the issue and there was strong opposition to the plan by the local business community.
"The idea is to make sure we fail. If they succeed, we don't win. I saw that over at the civic center. We've got to quit spending or tax. People don't want to pay for what we have," he said.
Vice Chairman Steve Leek suggested the courthouse be appraised so local officials would have an idea of what it would take to remedy needed repairs.
"There are Illinois building codes. How many do we violate?" he asked.
"We can't take on new debt without revenue," Crocker responded.
"Our job is to keep the county running. Whether people agree with that or not, it's our job to put it up for a vote," Warren said.
Officials have an August deadline to decide whether to place a referendum question on the November general election ballot.
