In Mar. 20-26 issue
By Greg Wells
Times Journal Managing Editor

Mickey Garner brought an off-agenda item to the members of the fiscal court at last Friday's meeting, Mar. 14.

He proposed spending between $5,800 and $6,500 on a feasibility study regarding construction of a new county jail.

"If we don't get involved in building a jail," Garner began. "One of the other counties will build one and we'll never have one."

He said it was becoming clear that the state will order the county's jail closed, if not this year then soon, and then Russell County will be paying other counties to house everyone arrested here.

"My feeling is we need to build a jail here," Garner said.

He said it will take 30 to 45 days to do the study which will report to the court how large the jail will need to be and how much it is likely to cost.

After the report came in he said they would hold public hearings to find out what residents thought of the proposal.

"If we build a jail we'll have to raise taxes," Garner added.

This didn't set well with everyone on the court.

"I want to talk about whether we're willing to raise taxes first," Magistrate Jimmy McQueary said.

Magistrate Steve Bledsoe voiced a similar opinion, "Why don't we hear what the public has to say about it before we spend $6,000."

In the end the motion to pay for a study, to be done by the same Lexington firm Garner told the court had done the previous study in 2004, was passed with only Bledsoe voting in opposition.