FRANKLIN COUNTY — The Franklin County Board met Tuesday night and got right to work on plans for the new courthouse and completing renovations to the Campbell Building.

County Board member John Gulley says the board passed a resolution waiving the competition requirements of the Local Government Professionals Services Act for the specific purpose of the design of renovations to the Campbell Building and temporary court facilities and to conduct a professional land survey of property.

The board also approved an implementation ordinance increasing Franklin County’s portion of the local sales tax by one percent that will raise revenue for the courthouse project. Gulley says this involves taking the vote by the public a few weeks ago and implementing it.

Gulley says Board Chairman Randall Crocker will be taking this information to the state Department of Revenue in Springfield in the coming days.

The board also hired Forest Langenfeld to underwrite the structure and place the debt certificates to be used in the construction of the courthouse and the renovation of the Campbell Building and to coordinate the document preparation with an accredited legal counsel and use Southern Illinois Bank as the lead bank.

The board tabled authorizing short-term financing that would be used for initial expenses on the new courthouse and renovation of the Campbell Building using Southern Illinois Bank.