As Fulton County officials sought Wednesday to decide what projects they’ll prioritize — a decision that will affect upcoming property tax rates — commissioners and top county staff went round and round over requests for direction vs. requests for details.
Staff wanted commissioners to make choices, while commissioners asked for more scenarios and specifics.
At the end of the day, no decisions were made.
Topping the agenda at the Fulton County Commission’s afternoon planning session was the proposal to build a new county jail, replacing the overcrowded and crumbling facility at 901 Rice St. Consultants recommended building a jail four times larger than the current one, but with much of its space devoted to better medical and mental health care, plus educational and reentry programs — a project with a $2 billion price tag.
“All of this is dealing with the assumptions that would go into a financial plan, and this is the mother of all assumptions,” County Manager Dick Anderson said.
Alton Adams, chief operating officer for Justice, Public Safety & Technology, offered two scenarios for a new jail: spending $2 billion up front to build the full complex, or — as suggested by Commissioner Bob Ellis — building a smaller new jail to start, then adding about 300 beds later.
That option would cut up-front cost to $1.5 billion but could force the county to continue renting beds at other facilities, thus eating into any potential savings.
“That’s basically the trade-off,” he said.
Ellis countered that the full $2 billion price tag might provoke public opposition, that not as many jail beds might be needed, and that building so many might be a disincentive for courts to process cases swiftly.
Several commissioners said they wanted to see more options developed. Commissioner Dana Barrett said she would prefer one based on the “optimal forecast” of improved case disposition, cutting the needed number of beds and lowering the price to $1.7 billion.
Commission Chairman Robb Pitts, who has previously argued for renovating the existing jail, asked for that option to be examined.
Adams said staff did calculate the cost of renovating the old jail and adding enough buildings to meet expected needs.
“That one was $2.4 billion,” he said.
Ellis asked for specifics of financing plans. Staff have been working on that, looking at how major jails have been financed elsewhere, Adams said.
One suggestion has been creating a 1-cent or half-cent sales tax to fund the jail, but Adams said staff haven’t found any other jail financed with a sales tax.
County staff presented estimates for other big expenses: a “bridging plan” to keep the current jail operating until a new one is built, annual operating costs for the new jail, and funding for various health care initiatives. All those, like the jail itself, will factor into future property tax rates, Chief Financial Officer Sharon Whitmore said.
In earlier discussions, county staff have said property taxes will need to rise after several years of declining. Commissioners will vote on the 2024 rate in August.
Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr. wanted to see dates attached to various projects to determine when the money will be needed. Anderson said those dates are flexible too — moving them is one of the variables commissioners can work with.
Also Wednesday, 15 advocacy groups sent a letter to Sheriff Patrick Labat, Fulton County and Atlanta officials, and chief local judges expressing “dismay and concern” about conditions in the Fulton County Jail.
The groups, including the Southern Center for Human Rights and the ACLU of Georgia, denounce those “horrid” conditions but also oppose building a new jail.
“Rather than spending millions in taxpayer dollars for a new jail, the coalition suggests creating low-income housing, increasing health and mental health services, subsidizing skills training for county residents, and increasing children and senior support programs,” an ACLU news release says.
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