MadisonJournalTODAY

Madison County leaders will soon determine how a projected $12.4 million will be spent if voters renew a one-cent sales tax in November. But there’s another matter the commissioners now want to resolve before the referendum: how will the $3.3 million tagged from the 2008 special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) for expanding the county jail be used?

“We need to find out how much to spend on the jail situation,” said commissioner Pete Bond May 6.

Other commissioners agreed.

“In five years we haven’t done anything and we need direction before the next SPLOST,” said commissioner Stanley Thomas. “…We’re asking people to go to the polls and vote for SPLOST money and we need to know what we’re doing with what we already have (for the jail).”

The commissioners agreed to establish a committee to study jail expansion options. Thomas and commissioner Mike Youngblood were nominated by the board to represent the BOC on the committee, which will also include Sheriff Kip Thomas, county engineer Phil Munro and county road and building director Alan Lapczynski. The committee list was not finalized Monday. It may include a couple of county citizens and perhaps a representative from the judicial system.
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