Interior view of the jail at the Dearborn County Law Enforcement Center. County officials are contemplating an expansion of the jail to handle more inmates. Dearborn County Sheriff's Department

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) - An expanded jail for Dearborn County has been price tagged at $11.8 million, but that figure has the potential to go up.

Dearborn County Council heard this week from engineers at RQAW, the Indianapolis-based architect firm planning the possible expansion of the justice campus in Lawrenceburg.

Some council members expressed concern the figure could easily rise to over $12 million. By Indiana law, any public project exceeding that amount would be subject to a county-wide referendum possibly asking to raise taxes.

Council has not taken a vote on the project yet.

Jail space at the Dearborn County Law Enforcement Center is currently at capacity and studies have shown that problem is likely to worsen in coming years. Right now, RQAW estimates the jail is 85 beds and about 30,000 square feet short of what is needed.

If council moves quickly on the project, RQAW says ground could be broken in the spring of 2012 with completion anticipated by fall of 2013.