Allen County Commissioners

After months of delays from legal challenges, the Allen County Council approved the commissioners proposed sale/lease of the Allen County Courthouse to the Allen County Building Corporation as a funding mechanism for building the new jail. The courthouse will operate as normal.

With the dust of the legal proceedings surrounding the plan for the new jail settled, the Allen County Commissioners said they're ready to move forward.

A week after the Indiana Tax Court upheld the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance's approval of the funding plan for building the new jail, the Allen County Residents Against the Jail announced they would not appeal the ruling.

The Indiana Tax Court heard final arguments over whether or not the Allen County government can use the historic Allen County Courthouse as collateral for a construction bond to help fund building the new county jail.

Fort Wayne City Council members publicly accused the Allen County Commissioners of not negotiating on additional funding. The Allen County Commissioners then threatened to terminate the interlocal agreement funding TRAA.

The lawsuits filed by a group of citizens attacking the funding structure of the planned jail have delayed the project, and attorneys representing inmates want to have the court step in.

The two similar suits attack the structure put in place by county officials to pay for the $300-million project.

With Allen County Commissioner Nelson Peters retiring at the end of the year, his seat had an open Republican primary for the first time in 20 years. EACS board member Ron Turpin won the GOP nomination for that seat. And At-Large Councilman Kyle Kerley is out.

The Allen County Residents Against the Jail filed suit against the Allen County Commissioners, the building corporation, and the Indiana Department of Local Government Spending to stop the county from using the Allen County Courthouse as collateral for bonds.

The proposed trail would run along the south side of the property, but board members express concerns about a nearby intersection.