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Halifax County commissioners Monday unanimously set a $50 million budget for a new detention center.

With Commissioner Thomas Barrett recusing himself due to contracts he has with USDA in his business, the board opted to go with USDA funding on the new facility which is expected to have between 200 to 250 beds.

County Manager Dia Denton had recommended that $5 million be set aside to finish third-floor renovations of the courthouse complex on Ferrell Lane for judges offices, office space for the public defender, and adding a sprinkler system.

Commissioner Sammy Webb, who has lobbied for a new detention center, said the renovations at the courthouse complex should be a separate matter. “When we started this two years ago, the advocacy and the fight was for a detention center because our (current) detention center cannot function as it is.”

The courthouse, Webb said, “Can function right now, but that detention center cannot function. It’s not functional. I believe that entirety should go towards the construction of our detention center because we don’t know what the $50 million is going to bring us.”

He said the $50 million may bring the county a 250-bed facility but if $5 million is used for the courthouse project and it means a 200-bed unit “that’s a concern. I think that other $5 million on the court services and the renovation of that floor is a separate issue that we need to address not now, but at a later time.”

Barrett asked what becomes of the current jail, to which Denton replied the sheriff’s office needs space.

Board Chair Vernon Bryant said there is no question a new detention center needs to be built. “We have tried to do it numerous times before and just have it halted. It’s probably true that all 50 needs to go into the jail. There’s no question about that but she (Denton) was just trying to go ahead and finish off that courthouse. We would have everything in place with that and wouldn’t have to worry about that anymore.”

County Attorney Glynn Rollins said the county is going to need to complete the courthouse project. The cost involved to go to another borrowing plan on a separate loan will mean additional costs in those efforts, he said. “If you’re in the process of financing one project and have another project and have another project you can also complete, it may be advantageous to take advantage of all that work and cost of borrowing you have involved.”

But, Webb countered, what was asked of the board was three options — a $30 million, $40 million, $50 million jail budget. “I understand about the renovation of the courthouse … I don’t want to pinpoint it to $45. I’d rather ask for the $50 million for the detention center provided that if it does not exceed $50 million … then those (leftover) funds can go to the renovation of the courthouse.”

Barrett said, “Me and Mr. Webb and all of us we (have) to go out there and look the public in the face and they’re going to ask us if we’re shortchanging the detention center so we can make a judge have a nice office. That’s a tough sale for us to look at taxpayers in the face and say we are shortchanging public safety.”

He said he sided with Webb and to appropriate money for the detention center only. “If at the end of the day we get what we need, exactly what we want and there’s some money left over I would not mind readdressing that issue.”

Denton said USDA is a longer term at 30 years but comes with a lower interest rate. “But you pay more over time because you’ve extended the payments.”

Finance Director Mary Duncan said the financing cost is less on USDA. "What you can save on the upfront expenditures allows you to play it toward your principal.”