Oklahoma County Detention Heart
Oklahoma County commissioners awarded $215 million of bonds to BofA Securities on Wednesday regardless of uncertainty over further funding for a jail undertaking hit by escalating prices.
The aggressive common obligation restricted tax bond sale
County Commissioner Jason Lowe, who solid the one vote in opposition to the bond award, stated promoting the bonds with out realizing the destiny of a possible gross sales tax hike poll measure subsequent yr for the undertaking is irresponsible.
“I am involved that the voters would possibly reject this proposal and now we’ll have three services that we’ll should fund,” he stated. “We will should fund the present jail, behavioral heart, and likewise half of the (new) jail. The place are we going to get these funds to fund three services? We’re having difficulties proper now funding one jail.”
A psychological well being facility the county is paying for with American Rescue Plan Act cash is being constructed on property the place the brand new jail will probably be inbuilt phases. The county bought
The $215 million of bonds structured with serial maturities from 2028 to 2045 attracted seven bids with BofA submitting the bottom at a real curiosity value of three.670349%, in keeping with the county’s monetary advisor, Zack Robinson, a senior vp at BOK Monetary Securities.
Yields topped out at 4.35% for bonds due in 2045 with a 4% coupon.
The bonds had been rated Aa1 with a secure outlook by Moody’s Rankings, which warned it may place the score beneath evaluate for potential withdrawal if the county fails to supply a closing fiscal 2024 monetary audit by the tip of November.
The county goals to switch its 13-story detention heart in downtown Oklahoma Metropolis — which opened in 1991 and has been beneath state and federal scrutiny for well being, security, and different issues — with a jail that features medical and psychological well being remedy.
