Madison Co. commission to vote on land purchase for jail expansion
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JACKSON, Tenn. — Madison County commissioners are scheduled to vote Monday night whether to purchase property that could be used for a jail expansion. Madison County Sheriff John Mehr said if the county does not do something about overcrowding, the jail could be shut down. The property sits at the intersection of South Highland Ave. and South Liberty St., next to the current Criminal Justice Complex. “It’s not something we’re jumping up and down and all excited about doing, but we don’t have any other choice,” Madison County Commission Chairman Gary Deaton said of building an addition to the jail. Deaton said the commission will vote Monday if they want to spend $100,000 to purchase 4.5 acres for a jail expansion. “It’s in a great location and I believe the price is pretty reasonable,” Madison County Commissioner Larry Lowrance said. Mehr said if the county does not do something about overcrowding at the jail, it could be shut down by the state. “You gotta plan for the future, not for a quick fix,” he said. County commissioners said they are still trying to figure out how many beds they would need in the new facility and how much it will cost to build it. Deaton said building a new facility could cost upwards of $30 million, a figure some said they are not comfortable with yet. “Thirty million dollars is a lot of taxpayer money and so no I’m not anywhere near ready personally to vote to spend anywhere like that amount of money,” Lowrance said. Deaton said the county would likely have to borrow money to fund an expansion. “No we’re not looking at a tax increase,” he said. “That’s not on the table to even be considered at this time.” If approved, commissioners said money for the land purchase would come out of a reserve fund. Deaton said they need 13 votes to approve the purchase.
