With several new faces filling seats on the Monroe County Board, the public who voted for them can rest a bit easier.

Taxpayers don’t have to worry those former supervisors will invest approximately $30 million for a proposed justice center. But the issue still looms large on the horizon. How does Monroe County deal with an overcrowded, aging county jail?

Is it cost effective to continue transporting inmates to other county jails? Is there a less expensive design that will meet space needs? Downtown Sparta or dog pound site? If downtown, does a faction of historic preservationists still exist who will doom a second proposal to build onto the present courthouse/jail? History still haunts me when I recall a unanimous vote among the Monroe County Board, I believe in 2000, for a downtown expansion to the courthouse to add more jail space.

As a county taxpayer, the thought of absorbing a $30 million price tag for a justice center made me very uneasy. At this point, I’m willing to give the new supervisors the benefit of the doubt. I do hope the county board finds a cost-effective plan to manage the jail population. But constituents hope the new supervisors are fully aware of the task that lies ahead.

As someone in a past career who had the opportunity to follow extensive justice center debate, I feel it’s deserving to give some credit to the former supervisors defeated in the recall election. They invested countless meetings and hours into finding solutions.

To the best of my knowledge, that group consisted of typical Monroe County blue-collar taxpayers, farmers and small business owners. Some retired, others still working. It was perceived by some an unwillingness to bend financially. Those supervisors stuck to their convictions. Not because they wanted to see their taxes increase, but they sincerely believed in the plan that was crafted.

Something to ponder. During all the past justice center debate in Sparta, Juneau and Vernon counties successfully obtained their goal of building new justice centers. True, the costs were much less than $30 million. But if Monroe County supervisors could have reached agreement since 2000, the price tag would have been much less.

In the end public opinion prevailed. Now those who were defeated in the recall earlier this month can sit back and watch the process unfold. If history is any indication, Monroe County’s jail dilemma is not going away. Maybe gas prices will hold steady to reduce inmate transportation costs to other jails. Maybe if a downtown plan is resurrected, historic preservationists will be more flexible than the first time. Maybe other credible options do exist.

Yes, some fresh faces sit on the Monroe County Board. Let’s hope work that lies ahead to solve that jail dilemma doesn’t cause premature aging.

Bob Kliebenstein is a resident of Tomah.