Allen Police could get relief from a jail overcrowding crisis that has cost the department more than $1.4 million this year after Collin County commissioners voted Monday, Aug. 10, to place an $817.5 million bond package on the Nov. 3 ballot.

The largest piece for Allen residents: Proposition A, a $296.5 million measure that includes roughly $90 million to build 550 new jail beds at the county detention facility. The Allen Police Department currently pays to house inmates in other counties because the Collin County jail, holding approximately 1,200 inmates as of Aug. 10, has no room, as we reported in July.

What's on the ballot

Commissioners approved four propositions:

  • Proposition A — $296.5 million for court and detention projects, including 550 jail beds, 15 courtrooms, elevator upgrades and roof replacements
  • Proposition B — $475 million for road improvements, including service roads for the Dallas North Tollway and the Outerloop west of US 75
  • Proposition C — $6 million for parks and open space
  • Proposition D — $40 million for a new elections and records storage facility, replacing leased space that costs the county about $650,000 a year

The bond does not include an explicit tax rate increase. County officials said residents could see a potential maximum debt service tax rate of 4.95 cents per $100 valuation by 2031, dependent on population growth.

Why more money after 2023

Voters approved a $683 million bond in 2023 that started the current courthouse expansion, but Kim told commissioners the budget cannot finish all 15 courtrooms without additional funding.

County Judge Chris Hill framed the vote as a direct question for taxpayers: "They're going to have to pay the bill, so we want their voice on this decision."

What Allen voters need to know

The total bond figure dropped slightly from the $820 million commissioners discussed earlier this summer to $817.5 million in the formal vote. Allen residents will vote on all four propositions alongside a separate $600 million Collin College bond on the same ballot.

Voter registration deadline is Oct. 5. Early voting runs Oct. 19–25. Election Day is Nov. 3.