Centre County Courthouse in Need of New Sound System

The sound system in courtroom one has been “hanging on by a thread for some time,” said Centre County administrator Margaret Gray. That thread has snapped, and the county is rearranging some funds to provide the needed feature in the courtroom.

“The court administration finds itself in a dilemma because the sound system in courtroom one is not currently working,” Gray told the county commissioners during an Oct. 6 board meeting.

The cost of the new system proposal from JP Lilley Inc.to install a sound system in Courtroom One is $36,463. The county had earmarked $17,000 in this year’s budget to replace the system, but the cost for the system is more than expected, so the county will move some money around in the court administration budget to make up the difference, said Gray.

Gray added that courtrooms two and three are also experiencing some difficulties with each of their sound systems, which could require more funds to fix in the future.

“I think courtroom three may be a simple repair, but courtroom two is yet to be determined,” said Gray. She said the sound systems are necessary features for the courtrooms.

The commissioner agreed to table the proposal from JP Lilley until they can do more due diligence on the cost of the system.