Herkimer County officially opened its new jail, a project more than 20 years in the making.

The jail was built at a cost of over $40 million.

But half of that has already been repaid due to a quarter percent sales tax added in 2007.

The old facility could only hold 29 inmates, so when there was a surplus, Herkimer County had to pay to house them in surrounding counties. 

The new jail can hold up to 155 inmates, which will mean a huge savings to the county. 

"We're going to start saving that right off the bat," said Herkimer County Sheriff Scott Scherer. "Years ago, we were up to $1.7 million a year, so that's going to be down to hardly anything."

The move-in date for the new facility hasn't been determined yet.