VIDALIA — The Vidalia Board of Aldermen voted Tuesday to advertise for bids for construction of the new municipal complex.

Vidalia Mayor Hyram Copeland said there were a few details left to fill out before the advertising could be placed, but all of the expenditures were in order.

“I expect to get some competitive bids due to the economy,” Copeland said. “I hope local contractors will be among the most competitive.”

Copeland said he hopes to break ground on the approximately 30,000 square foot municipal complex that will house a new police station, fire station, municipal court and town hall within the next 60 to 90 days.

Alderman Ricky Knapp said the municipal complex, which will be located on U.S. 84 West, Vidalia has been in need of for some time.

“We’ve pretty much outgrown our current facilities,” Knapp said. “The complex will accommodate our growth and provide us with state of the art facilities and communications.”

Vidalia Assistant Police Chief Arthur Lewis agreed that the police department had outgrown is space.

“It will provide us with a lot of space to work with, and I think we need it,” Lewis said. “We can’t wait until it gets started.”

In other news, the board passed a resolution in support of state tax benefits for Louisiana Elastomer.

Rubber recycling company LAEL plans to expand its business in Concordia Parish, establishing 121 new jobs and adding an annual $3.73 million to its payroll. The project will include building a new facility on D.A. Biglane Road, which is adding 20 construction jobs.

LAEL currently employees 35 people at its original facility and one at its office building.

LAEL will withdraw its application to receive a portion of Vidalia’s sales taxes.

4 The board voted to replace a 1997 Ford truck for the sewage department at an approximate $30,000 cost.