ELIZABETHTON – The Carter County Commission moved forward Thursday night on efforts to remove the temporary jail pods that have stood in front of the old jail for the past several years, but the commissioners refused to approve an agreement with a construction adviser for the animal shelter project because of concerns over his proposed pay.
It was the last commission meeting of the fiscal year and several year-end budget amendments were also approved, but there was little discussion about the budget for the new year except for a plea from Mayor Leon Humphrey to not raise property taxes.
Mayor Humphrey used his time for mayor’s comments to speak out against any raise in property taxes this year. He set the example by cutting the two budgets he controls, the mayor’s office and the county building funds, by 2.5 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively and still gave the employees a 2 percent raise.
On a county level, Humphrey said there were some large end-of-the-year surpluses that could meet the needs for next year without raising taxes.
He said Finance Director Ingrid Deloach had identified $910,000 in surplus. Most came from the 37 guard positions for the new jail that were not filled because of delays in opening the jail.
Humphrey said there was another $300,000 in end-of-year savings in other departments. He said cost-cutting measures such as those he took in his office could yield another $550,000.
“That is $1.7 million,” Humphrey said. “That is enough to fund all the outside agencies, pay the other requests and put money back into debt service. ... There is no need to put an extra burden on the taxpayers.”
The discussion on the jail pods was heavily influenced by a commitment the county had made with the Elizabethton Planning Office four months ago to remove the pods and pave a new parking lot in the place where the pods have stood.
Commissioner Ronnie Trivett said the clock was ticking on the county’s agreement to get rid of the pods, and he made the motion to hold an auction to sell off the pods. If the auction did not produce a buyer, then the pods would be moved to OmniSource and sold as scrap.
That was the recommendation of the Building and Grounds Committee, but the committee’s chairman, L.C. Tester, suggested the city might be willing to allow the pods to stay in place if a more attractive front was placed on them and the parking lot was built to stop the parking of official vehicles on East Elk Avenue in front of the Justice Center.
Tester said if the new jail had been opened this past weekend it would have meant about 15 prisoners would have had to sleep on the floor in the new facility. He said the pods provided the cheapest alternative beds and should be considered as housing for low-risk prisoners who were on work release or trustys. Chief Deputy Ron Street said there are about 65 prisoners in those categories, and if they were housed elsewhere that would free up 65 beds in the new jail.
The argument drew the attention of Commission Chairman Thomas “Yogi” Bowers, who called on Vice Chairman Lawrence Hodge to preside so he could speak on the matter.
“It’s a money pit,” Bowers told the commissioners. He said he serves on the Jail Inspection Committee and he sees a “cancer” in the temporary facility with maintenance problems that get worse each month. He called on his fellow commissioners to not spend more money on the pods, but to sell them or scrap them and get something for them instead of continuing to spend money to maintain them.
Street said it may not cost as much to move the pods as previously thought. He said an individual has contacted him, and believes they can be moved at a fraction of previous estimates.
Trivette’s motion to move ahead on the auction was approved by a 18-6 vote.
The commissioners balked at the proposal to hire a construction adviser for the animal shelter project at a salary of $1,450 per week, plus $500 per month for vehicle allowance, $100 per month for mobile phone and computer, $240 per month for fuel and $210 per week for per diem pay.
The commission proposed advertising for their own construction advisor, but Bowers said that should be the decision of the Elizabethton/Carter County Animal Shelter Advisory Board.
“I believe the Advisory Board has received a message tonight that this committee is not willing to pay that kind of money,” Bowers said.
