The Ellis County Press: Commissioners vote for $53 million bond election Commissioners vote for $53 million bond election ================================================================================ Editor on 03/01/2007 00:00:00 _Waxahachie offers incentives to keep county facilities downtown_ ERIC CORNELISON _Editor_ WAXAHACHIE - It took more than an hour of discussion before the commissioners decided to hold a $53,875,000 bond election on May 12. The purpose of these funds, said Ellis County Commissioners at their Monday, Feb. 26 meeting, was to build the Ellis County Civil and Criminal Courts and Detention Center and the purpose of the bond election was to provide the voters the opportunity to decide if they would pay for it. Most of the hour wasn't spent on the bond election, it was spent on where the • Build a parking garage at a cost not to exceed $7,500,000; • Make reasonable road improvements surrounding the county's downtown property at a cost not to exceed $250,000; • Make reasonable and fair considerations for the county with regard to zoning, the historic overlay and maximum height requirements; • Help to minimize costs to the county associated with relocation of utilities; • Reasonably allow closure or rerouting of roads; • Agree that the fate of the 1929 jail facility will be left up to the county and that it could be incorporated, removed, or demolished to make the best use of the county's property.