JEFFERSON CITY — A state representative is trying to drum up support for a construction fund for a new Jefferson County Courthouse.
The current was originally constructed in the 1860s and has undergone a few major renovations since.
But state Rep. Renee Reuter, R-Imperial, told the Post-Dispatch the building is “literally crumbling” and “repairs are lipstick to put on a pig.”
Reuter is sponsoring a measure that would add an additional $45 filing fee to new Jefferson County civil cases, billing it as a “user fee.” The fee would be deposited into a fund for construction of a new courthouse, though it could be waived in some instances.
At a committee hearing Tuesday, Reuter said the fund isn’t meant to cover the full cost of construction. Rather, it “would be a great first step” that could be used in the future for bonding or matching grants.
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Reuter, who was on the Jefferson County Council before her 2022 election to the state House, said that because a recent proposal to increase taxes for parks “failed miserably,” it is unlikely voters would approve a tax for a new courthouse.
The proposed legislation is modeled after a state that levies a filing fee which goes into a courthouse maintenance fund for the city of Ƶ.
A of the bill from the Legislature estimates the Jefferson County fee could generate about $447,000 annually.
Rep. Phil Amato, R-Arnold, who represents part of Jefferson County, said he was “shocked” at the condition of the courthouse when he visited. “It was terrible,” he said.
At the hearing, Amato raised a concern that, further into the planning process, the $45 fee may not correspond with the amount of funding needed for the project. He said he would support the effort but wanted to look into ways to deal with an unknown project cost.
Jefferson County Circuit Clerk Mike Reuter, who is Rep. Renee Reuter’s husband, testified at the hearing that “I have never seen a building so bad. ... It almost makes my skin crawl.”
Reuter said he worked at the building for two years as a bailiff and 10 years as a sheriff’s deputy. He’s been circuit clerk since he was first elected in 2014.
Representative Reuter told the Post-Dispatch the measure “is the one thing” she wants to accomplish for her constituents as a state representative.
“In my opinion, this is the most important project that needs to be addressed in Jefferson County,” she said.
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