New Funding Plan for Jail Expansion Considered

A Franklin County Commissioner says he has an alternative plan to fund the expansion of the Franklin County Detention Center.

Built in 1993, the current jail is designed to hold 76 inmates, but has a population today of almost twice that.  Many of the more serious offenders are now being housed at other facilities in other counties at a cost to the county of between $5,000 to $15,000 a month.

A design plan being considered would add another four pods and 96 beds to the current and would house non-violent and women offenders, at a construction cost of at least $2.5 million dollars.

During a work session last month, a jail study subcommittee proposed forward funding the construction  using either  a $3-million or $4-million dollar bond issue until the next SPLOST passed two years from now. That would allow construction to begin this summer or early fall.  The bond would be paid back over a 15-year period at an initial cost to the county of over $110-thousand dollars.

The bond would pay for the jail construction and also pay for a planned expansion of natural gas service in the county. At their meeting Monday night, Commissioner Jeff Jacques said while that plan might work, it had some problems.

“First, we have no way of knowing whether voters will even approve the next SPLOST,” he told the board. 

If that were the case, the county would be forced to raise the millage to make the monthly bond payments.

“I’m also very, very concerned that this would adversely affect our ability to provide our citizens with essential core services,” Jacques said. “If this bond were to go to fruition, you’re talking about a total of $1.35 million being paid out over the life of the bond to attorneys and to investors in the State and throughout the nation.”

After reviewing the county’s budget and finances Jacques said he came up with a plan that would use monies from the county’s $1.8 million dollar reserve fund that are now sitting in a CD.

Jacques also recommended dropping the idea of combining the jail expansion with a plan to extend natural gas service throughout the county.

“These projects are in different states of readiness,” he said. “The jail expansion is much more ready than the natural gas expansion.”

Commissioner Clint Harper, who sits on the natural gas sub-comittee agreed.,

“They’re not even close to having any figures ready on what it would cost to expand into the county,” Harper said. “It will be at least a year before we have any actual costs in place and be ready to bid out the project.”

Jacques then proposed the County do the jail pod construction in phases.

“I would like to keep the costs to a minimum, so while utilizing these funds, I would like to just construct two of the four pods now and wait to finish the project when additional funds become available,” he said.

Commissioner David Strickland, who came up with the bond issue idea, said Jacques’ plan was a good one but expressed concerns the fund balance would drop too low.

Jacques said the fund could be replenished over time with new revenue. 

“I have gone over this plan with our auditors and they fully support it,” Jacques said.

After hearing from Jacques, all commissioners agreed the plan was valid, but no vote was taken.  The board plans to discuss it again at their next work session later this month.