Could the county get the money to build a new jail from part of the Ohio Capital Bill scheduled for debate next year?

That was the question on the floor during the Lawrence County Commissioners’ Thursday meeting when two members from the Statehouse came to explain what the bill can and cannot pay for.

“The capital bill is fabulous,” Sen. Bob Peterson, R-17, told the commissioners. “The state of Ohio has a pot of money. $125 million.”

With 88 counties vying for those millions, however the qualifications are strict. In fact, Peterson said most projects won’t qualify.

“Our job is to identify the projects and find out which ones will qualify and then get them on our list,” said Rep. Ryan Smith, R-93, who accompanied Peterson to the meeting. “Certain things qualify better than others.”

Top criteria to have a chance at the state money are a connection to the state so that it owns property where a capital facility will be located, Peterson said. This could be a tie with a state university, county boards of development or the department of jobs and family services, according to the guidelines.

Next if there is a large local match to go into the project, it has a better chance for funding, Peterson said.

“If the project is fairly well-developed, most detail put together, some solid dollar figures on the cost, it is viable project,” he said. “We do not fund people. It has to be a capital project.”

Peterson called the jail a “pre-eminent issue in the county,” but did not say if it met the state requirements for funding.

Other projects suggested as possible entries in the funding race were a walking path around the Ohio University Southern-Proctorville Center, the Ro-Na Theater restoration and the Burlington Jail restoration.

“If we get one project in Lawrence County, that is pretty good,” Smith said.

The state needs the county’s entry by Dec. 1.

“You don’t have to get into the details here,” Smith said.

What is needed is the project’s estimate cost and how large is the local match.

“The higher the local match, the better the project looks,” Peterson said.