Madison County is getting a rare $27 million grant in the new state budget – a major boost for a small rural community still working to restore normalcy after Hurricane Helene.
The money will go toward a new $88 million public service complex in Marshall that County Manager Rod Honeycutt hopes will streamline and modernize government services for residents.
Currently, services like taxes, welfare and the county manager's office are spread throughout the county, many in temporary spaces due to damage by Helene. Certain offices, like the Register of Deeds, have lived in a “temporary” administrative building for the last 14 years due to much older flood damage.
“As we’re looking at recovery after Helene and day-to-day business, it’s hard to do that from a temporary facility,” Honeycutt said. “In our mindset, you’ve got to have your government infrastructure in place before you start chasing economic development.”
The storm damaged several key county government buildings in Madison County. The historic courthouse in downtown Marshall remains boarded up. The Sprinkle Shelton building, which housed IT, probation and parole, child services and the drug court coordinator, was destroyed. And the district attorney’s office was also impacted.
The new, consolidated building is planned for 500 Medical Park Drive, outside the floodplain. Honeycutt said it will unite five locations, including county administration, finance, IT and court-related offices.
In addition to this recent funding from the state, the project received $20 million previously in state funds. County leaders are also expecting around $10 million from FEMA, leaving a roughly $30 million funding gap for the project.
The new complex is expected to break ground later this month, with a projected move-in date of March 2029.
