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I have no doubt about the need for a new jail but all of the recent communication has omitted the cost comparisons. More specifically, all I see is how much it cost per day to house prisoners somewhere else. The last time this was voted on, the comparisons showed the cost to house prisoners out of the county compared to $0 here. This was clearly false information which led many people I know to vote no. The people of Forsyth county are not stupid, many are corporate executives that want to know the bottom line. Is that what the county is trying to avoid? I believe that if the numbers add up people will vote for the new facilities.

Hall County: $54 million jail completed Facility holds 1,000-plus; opens soon

By Ashley Fielding afielding@gainesvilletimes.com Posted: Oct. 23, 2007 12:34 a.m. POSTED Oct. 23, 2007 12:34 a.m.

Chairman of the Hall County Board of Commissioners Tom Oliver presented Hall County Sheriff Steve Cronic with a key to a new $54 million jail facility Monday, and joked that it might be the most expensive key ever made. The new jail, with the ability to house more than 1,000 inmates, was completed one month ahead of schedule and under budget, Cronic said.

"We will be returning close to a million dollars back to the county," Cronic said.

Hall County Commissioner Steve Gailey said the detention facility was the largest project the county had undertaken.

The jail was paid for with funds from the Special Purpose Local Options Sales Tax.

"Thank the voters, because without the voters this wouldn’t have happened," Gailey said.

The new jail is located on 50 acres of property on Barber Road, and will relieve the overcrowded detention center in midtown Gainesville.

Instead of boarding inmates in other counties’ facilities, Hall County will have the option of making money housing inmates from other counties.

Hall County Sheriff’s Deputies gave local officials tours of the new jail, showing them some of the upgrades from the old facility.

The new Hall County Jail has a medical center where inmates can receive routine medical treatment or visit a dentist or mental health specialist.

The new jail also has an ramped-up security system.

"There are no blind spots in this whole jail as far as cameras go," said Robert Lachner, senior officer on shift at the jail.

After the security systems are tested, the jail will open in two weeks.

"Hopefully we have instilled some confidence in the public in our abilities to manage your money," Commissioner Billy Powell said. "I think we have done everything we could have done."

At the jail’s opening ceremony, the Rev. L.C. Teasley asked that God make the facility not just a container but also a mind changer.

And Cronic praised the efforts of all who were involved in the jail’s planning.

He said county officials had been planning the jail for seven years.

"We’re blessed here in Hall County that we have a county commission that serves the department," Cronic said.

"There could be no better example than this facility here," he said.

Why does Paxton want to spend 79 mil or is it 81 mil for only 480 beds? Experts present jail options to board Building officials say county would need 804 beds in three years at present growth rate Author: Todd Truelove Staff Writer Publish Date: March 29, 2007 Word Count: 455 Document ID: 1184EDE44BBF14A5

Jail building experts said Tuesday that Forsyth County will need a jail of 804 beds in three years based on data which indicates the county's population will be 200,762 by 2010. Consultants with the Tallahassee, Fla.-based firm Clemons, Rutherford & Associates presented the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners with information and alternate options for a jail facility Tuesday during a called meeting at the request of Interim County Manager Rhonda

This article also went on to tell that Gordon County built a state of the art jail that housed 388 inmates for 22 million. That is only 100 less inmates that we are wanting to build our facility for 79 or 81 million. How many new cars will this buy Paxton?

Forsyth County News (Cumming, GA)

New jail, FCSO facility separated Frank Reddy; Staff Writer Published: July 30, 2008 Forsyth County commissioners voted Tuesday to rescind last week's decision to combine funding for a new sheriff 's headquarters and detention center as one bond referendum question Nov. 4. "There was some consternation after the last work session when we took action on this," said Chairman Charles Laughing house.

Commissioners voted 5-0 to take back the initial vote and instead place the items separately on the November ballot.

Sheriff Ted Paxton attended the meeting to voice support of keeping the items separate.

"Our facilities are lacking, and we certainly do need a headquarters facility," Paxton said. "We're scattered all over town.

"However, I'm a firm believer that people in the community should have the opportunity to base their decision to vote on each individual measure."

As well as voting to scrap last week's decision, commissioners voted 5-0 to place the $16 million sheriff's headquarters item on the November ballot with a 20-year repayment schedule.

They also voted unanimously to place the $75 million detention center on the ballot with a 30-year payback schedule.

According to County Attorney Ken Jarrard the board did not need prior notice in order to rescind last week's vote "as long as there's a four-fifth's majority."

Commissioner David Richard made the motion to rescind the July 22 vote.

Richard and Laughing house opposed the original measure.

If approved by voters, general obligation bonds could fund construction of a new 480-bed detention center and a 51,000-square-foot sheriff's facility.

County Manager Rhonda O'Connor and jail architects Pieper O'Brien Herr plan to hold a series of town hall meetings in August to provide information and design proposals for the detention center.

E-mail Frank Reddy at frankreddy@forsythnews.com.

Copyright, 2008, Forsyth County News. All Rights Reserved.

Why do we need such a large Sheriff's Headquarters when we have just opened 2 new preceincts? Whay are we going to under build our jail when a consulting firm has said we need double the room in 2 years? It will probably be 2 years or longer before the jail is done.

I have the numbers for last year housing inmates out and also the cost it took to run the detention center. The numbers sure are not what Paxton is trying to make them out to be. By his budget number it is alot cheaper to house out the inmates then keep them here. By the number if Paxton built his jail, it would cost us double or more to keep them here.

For example in 2007 we spent:

Inmate out of county 2,161,473.32 Inmate medical out of county 212,973.15 Total 2,374446.40 This total is for avg of 131 inmates per Nelson in article March 2007 : This cost 2,374446.40 /365 days =6,505.33/131 avg inmate= $49 a day To run the detention center for 134 inmates Salaries, all insurance (health, workers comp., taxes and all leave amounts 3,143591.40 Coffee, Water,Building Maint,Travel, Training, Office Supplies,Copiers,Computer Supplies, Dues, Postage, Meals 341,914.32 Inmate medical for in house 615,976.28 Total for in county (Forsyth) Jail now 4,101,481.90 This total is for 134 inmates in county 4,101,481.90/365=11,236.96/134 inmates= $83.80 for each inmate

Keep in mind when the jail gets bigger our cost goes up for salaries then we have to add an extra 7,397.26 a day to add to this bottom line number so that is an extra $15 a day per inmate for the next 30 years and I did not calculate interest in that.

I am currently researching 5 other counties jails and I am finding ours is way overpriced. Please come out Tuesday Aug 12 at 6PM to the Sheriff's Conference Room to learn more about this. I will have all the figures if you would like to see how I calculated everything and I will confirm the numbers with Sheriff Paxton also.

If anyone would like the figures I have obtained from Open Record Requests or have any input please feel free to contact me at 678-858-3809.

Why is the proposed detention center being built next to a new town home community? Familes who invested in this county,who are taxpayers and voters are now going to live next to criminals for the rest of their life. because they will never sell their home . This community is less than 4 years old. Investors who lease the property will never get enough rent to pay the bills. A detentiion center should be built away from familes. This community is not a 40 year old dilapilated neighborhood. It is new and beautiful .

I don't think we need to be spending this kind of money on a state of the art building either. Put it out in the middle of nowhere and don't make it state of the art please.