The Douglas County Commission on Wednesday will consider establishing a public building commission, a process that allows local governments to raise funds for building projects by issuing bonds without voter approval.

The mechanism is being considered with at least two future projects in mind: renovating the Douglas County Fairgrounds and a two-part undertaking involving the expansion of the county jail and constructing a separate mental health care facility for inmates.

Commissioners Jim Flory and Nancy Thellman on Monday were noncommittal that a building commission, if established, would actually be used to fund those projects. They and County Administrator Craig Weinaug said the purpose of Wednesday’s vote is to keep the option open as a fundraising strategy. Commissioner Mike Gaughan was unavailable for comment.

The county has already taken steps to keep another option handy: holding a sales tax referendum. Counties in Kansas cannot hold such elections without the Legislature’s approval. The commission voted in January to pursue the introduction of a bill that would allow it to hold a referendum.

No matter what, Weinaug has said the jail expansion will affect the mill levy.

“I really haven’t made a decision one way or the other,” Flory said. “I just want all options to be open.”

The county must determine how to come up with over $3 million of the $6.5 million worth of renovations planned for the fairgrounds. County staff hope construction can begin after this summer.

Much less is known about the jail expansion. Weinaug has offered a rough estimate that the project will cost between $20 million to $30 million. But no construction date nor fundraising strategy has been chosen. The county is still researching how to address rising inmate populations and the greater need to provide mental health care.

In December, Weinaug said he expected the building commission would ultimately be the chosen path, although he said Monday he truly does not know what the commission will do.

Various local governments across Kansas have building commissions, including Johnson County, Franklin County and the city of Topeka, for example. Once created, they can be used to issue bonds for any project.

Each member of the Douglas County Commission would appoint someone to the building commission, which would issue the bonds for projects. It wasn’t known Monday how long it would take for appointments to be made if the building commission were created.

Bonds issued by a building commission are subject to public protest. If 5 percent of registered voters file a petition, it would force an election on whether the bonds can be issued.

The Douglas County Commission will meet at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St.