County Executive Dennis Gannon released his office’s list of priority capital improvement projects for the next five years, 2026-2030, including some big-ticket items like a new athletic center and, potentially, a new county courthouse.
The Jefferson County Council narrowly approved the Jefferson County Capital Program and Strategic Plan by a 4-3 vote on Aug. 25, after a lengthy debate over a $3 million expenditure in the plan to replace the aging High Ridge Civic Center.
The council amended Gannon’s plan to delay the Civic Center’s construction from 2026-27 to 2029-30.
Instead, the amended capital improvement plan calls for the county to spend about $2.6 million in 2026 to purchase a hazardous materials response vehicle for the Office of Emergency Management, which will be shared with other counties in the region.
Councilmen Brian Haskins (District 1, High Ridge), Billy Crow (District 2, Arnold) and Scott Seek (District 5, Festus) voted against the amended plan.
No funding has been allocated for most of the projects outlined in the 59-page document, with eight of the projects expected to be funded in the 2026 budget.
In an Aug. 1 letter to the council, Gannon explained that the capital improvement plan is a “strategic vision” for the county.
“Projects recommended and carried forward to completion shall enhance the county’s position in maintaining and improving county-owned assets and services,” he said. “In addition, approved projects should be realistic, achievable and demonstrate to our citizens that we are bringing value for the use of funds that we received.”
Gannon cautioned in his letter that rising costs for materials and labor shortages are forcing county staff to closely monitor project cost projections. It also means project timelines may have to be altered.
“I think we’ve done a good job of figuring out how to do things, make the money go around, and we have not had to borrow any since I’ve been in office (since 2018),” Gannon said at an Aug. 18 council work session. “Quite honestly, there have been years when we have not funded lots of items in this (plan). But it’s put in there with a purpose; if you meet your target goals on revenue, you build it. We put it in this document to say, ‘Hey, this is what we’d like to do; this is what we think we can do if we can afford it.’”
Priority projects
The plan includes $715,000 to design and request construction quotes for the Jefferson County Courthouse in 2028. It will cost an estimated $30 million to build an addition and complete major renovations at the Courthouse, and that work is scheduled for 2029-2032. The funding source for the addition is undetermined.
The existing Courthouse, 300 Main St., was built in 1863, and several updates and additions have been completed there over the decades. The building houses the 23rd Circuit Court, including courtrooms, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Circuit Clerk’s Office.
In 2021, Gannon discussed the possibility of placing a bond issue on a ballot to finance the construction of a new courthouse but later dropped the discussion in the face of social media backlash against additional taxes.
State Rep. Renee Reuter from District 112 has tried repeatedly to pass a bill in the state Legislature to add user fees on civil cases, with the revenue from those fees to create a special fund to build a new courthouse. Her third attempt, during the most recent legislative session, proved unsuccessful.
“It’s not a controversial bill, but because it’s just for Jefferson County, it’s been difficult to get the attention it needs to get through,” Reuter said at the Aug. 6 Jefferson County Legislative Forum. “In my opinion, the courthouse in Jefferson County is a third-class courthouse for a first-class county. For most counties, the courthouse is the jewel, the pride of the county, and for us, that’s just not the case.”
The following are the eight projects expected to be funded in the 2026 budget, which will be presented to the County Council for approval in December. Funding for some of the projects was included in the current budget, but haven’t been finished and will carry over into the 2026 budget.
■ Outdoor warning system installation for $2.2 million from ARPA funding. The Office of Emergency Management began installing severe weather warning system sirens in February, and the project is scheduled to be finished in 2026.
■ Parking lot lighting and security camera installation at county buildings for $75,000 from the general revenue fund. This project was included in the 2025 budget and will carry over into the 2026 budget.
■ Formulate conceptual plans and timeline for a new Jefferson County Courthouse and Jail for $125,000 from general revenue.
■ Fleet upgrade for $955,000 from general revenue and grants. The plan states this is part of the ongoing rotation of aging vehicles to address safety, mileage and maintenance concerns.
■ Courthouse repairs and upgrades for $175,000 from general revenue. Plans include remodeling the second-floor restrooms, installing wayfinding signage and replacing ceiling tiles and lights.
■ Jefferson County Jail repairs and upgrades for $150,000 from general revenue. Plans include exterior power washing, sealing and tuckpointing, repairing structural columns and making elevator repairs.
■ Jefferson County Justice Center repairs for $100,000 from general revenue, including exterior masonry sealing and tuckpointing.
■ Laptop refresh for $121,000 from general revenue.
Park projects
Highlighted in the plan are county park projects to be completed from 2026 to 2030. The projects don’t have specific funding allocated for them but show what the county intends to do if the County Council approves funding. In total, the 20 projects in the plan will cost an estimated $10,245,000.
“All of these (projects) are identified, and it doesn’t mean you’ve got to do them,” said Parks and Recreation Director Tim Pigg. “If we have the resources, if everything lines up, this is what we’d like to do. In a perfect world, if I had all the money, this is what I would do.”
The Parks Department is looking in the Imperial/Barnhart area for a proposed athletic center and fields, which would provide county residents with “full recreation services,” according to the plan. The cost to acquire the property and build the center is estimated at $4 million, and the funding is still to be determined. The project is slated for 2030.
Pigg said the Department has not yet found property for the athletic center.
Also in 2030, the Department is looking to find land for and build a 60-by-40-foot community splash pad. The construction would cost an estimated $300,000 and would be covered with Parks and Recreation funds and possible Recovery Act funds.
Two pavilions are set to be replaced with a combined cost of $300,000 – a 40-year-old, wood pavilion at Pleasant Valley Nature Preserve in High Ridge to be replaced in 2027 and the Sunridge Park pavilion in Hillsboro to be replaced in 2029. The cost for both pavilion projects would be covered by Parks and Recreation funds, along with potential grant funding.
The plan calls for several park playgrounds to be upgraded in the coming years.
The playground at the Big River Saddle Club in Dittmer is expected to be replaced for $150,000 in 2027, using Jefferson Foundation Grant and Land and Water Conservation funding. The old playground equipment at the Pleasant Valley Nature Preserve is set to be replaced for another $150,000 in 2028. Playground equipment at the Northwest Sports Complex in House Springs is expected to be updated for $350,000 in 2028.
Other potential projects include:
■ Property acquisition for a total of $600,000 in 2026 and 2027. “With the money you have, you have to do the best you can to spread it out,” Pigg said. “We’re doing the best we can to increase the parks area. Those take time and money.”
■ New trail system at River Bend Park in High Ridge for $20,000 from Parks and Recreation funds and a trail grant in 2027.
■ Asphalt overlay at Winter Park in Fenton for $160,000 in 2027, from Parks and Recreation funds.
■ Morse Mill Park roadway acquisition from multiple owners for $20,000 from Parks and Recreation funds in 2028.
■ Pour an asphalt parking lot at Morse Mill Park for $200,000 in 2029 from Parks and Recreation funds.
■ Parking lot overlay and expansion at Sunridge Park for $150,000 in 2028, from the Parks and Recreation fund and county road tax revenue.
■ Trail development at Beck Park in Eureka for $30,000 in 2029, from Parks and Recreation funds.
■ Replace the skate park at the Northwest Sports Complex for $600,000, from Parks and Recreation funds in 2029.
■ Install turf soccer fields for $800,000 at the Northwest Sports Complex in 2029. “(Turf) cuts down on your maintenance, grass cutting, watering and makes the field playable for longer,” Pigg said. “If it rains today, I’ll be able to play on it tomorrow.”
■ Pave concrete and asphalt driveways and parking areas at Rockford Park in House Springs for $500,000 from Parks and Recreation funds in 2029.
■ Replace bridge at Beck Park for $1.5 million, using Parks and Recreation funds. The Department will work with property owners to develop a plan for the project. “I’ve had that (project) on the list for quite a few years,” Pigg said. “A lot of these projects I put on the list to forewarn people. I don’t know when we’ll do this or how, but it’s something that’s coming.”