"Million Dollar Concern"

What we are viewing here is the Bibb County, Georgia Law Enforcement Center. When I was younger we called these facilities the "County Jail." Recently I learned that our Sheriff has expended about one million dollars in labor cost for overtime to the Deputies who guard our prisoners. This is now causing concern for the Commissioners of Bibb County, Georgia.

I know it is very easy to be a Monday Morning Quarterback; but maybe if we would have invested a bit more money in education and even demanded higher expectations of our School Students a few years ago, we would not need the number of jail spaces we now have. In fact, I do understand that as I compose this Blog that a major construction company is expanding our current Bibb County Law Enforcement Center. I hope that they are also increasing the size of the Law Library. This will take even more deputy guards at even greater cost.

I see no easy way to resolve this issue. But I do know where there is either $28,000.00 or $38,000.00 of extra money available. True, it is earmarked for the Bibb County Road Improvement Program; but with a little creative accounting I suspect that the funds can be used for other purposes. (If anyone needs assistance on creative accounting I would encourage them to contact the Macon, Georgia City Hall. As I understand it, there are several individuals there who know how to transfer funds from one project to another).

You may wonder how I know that there is extra money available? You may recall way back on July 13, 2006 when I published a Blog on the sad state of affairs as regards the timely completition of the Tucker Road Improvement Program in West Bibb County. I received a letter from the Bibb County Engineer that informed me that the Road Improvement Program had withheld at least $28,000.00 to maybe $38,000.00 from the Contractor who had failed to complete the project in a timely manner. These funds could be transferred to the Bibb County Sheriff so that he could employ at least one more Deputy to serve as a Jail Guard.

I know that this does not resolve the entire problem, but at least it is a start in the correct direction.