Grundy County Mayor Lonnie CleekA petition circulated among Grundy County, Tenn., voters could create a speed bump in the long road to a new jail that officials propose to fund with a $7 million bond.
The petition’s legal language and signatures are being verified by the state and local election office, officials said. State law allows 10 percent of registered voters to petition against a bond issue.
County leaders say the bond will build a jail with up to 100 beds to replace the overcrowded, 1970s-era jail that has received more than $100,000 in updates just to keep fire and safety problems at bay.
Officials say the jail, with a current capacity of 32 but regularly filled with more than 50, has not been state certified since the 1990s and needs to be replaced.
A copy of the petition was not available, officials said.