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Orange supervisors approve regional jail authority Date published: 12/17/2008
BY ROBIN KNEPPER
The Orange County Board of Supervisors this week finally agreed to establish an authority to own and operate the Central Virginia Regional Jail. The move makes it easier to borrow money to expand the facility by 200 beds. The jail now has capacity for 400 inmates. The 3-2 vote Tuesday night was followed by the same split to transfer one-fifth ownership of the jail's assets from the county to the newly approved authority. The jail in Orange is jointly owned by Orange, Greene, Madison, Fluvanna and Louisa counties. Supervisors in all except Orange County had already approved the establishment of the jail authority by unanimous votes. Supervisors Zack Burkett and Teri Pace voted against establishing the authority. Chairman Mark Johnson and Supervisor Teel Goodwin had reservations, but voted in favor. "I'm not happy about how this all has come down," said Johnson, "but I don't see an alternative." Goodwin agreed, saying, "I don't see any option." Only Supervisor Lee Frame, who sits on the jail's governing board, completely supported the change. Since its establishment in 1988, the regional jail has been jointly owned by the five counties. Each county has had two members on the jail's governing board, one appointed by the supervisors and the other held by the sheriff of each county. A yearly seat on the board is rotated among the counties; Frame holds that position this year. The jail authority was established to help finance a $10 million expansion. The jail has $5 million in hand, but will need to borrow the rest. Without the legal status of the authority, each of the five counties would have had to hold a referendum to approve borrowing. Money from housing state and federal prisoners will help repay the bonds. Any shortfall will be made up by the five counties. Pace said that she would not support the establishment of an authority unless it submitted its yearly budget to the county for approval. "It's unreasonable to ask us to fund something we have no control over," she said. But County Attorney Sharon Pandak told the board that jail budget approval by five counties would be viewed as unacceptable from lenders. One hitch in the plans for obtaining financing for the jail expansion is a state moratorium on building jails. For the regional jail's plans to move forward, the General Assembly must grant an exemption from the moratorium. State Sen. Edd Houck, D-Spotsylvania, said establishing the authority "will get the ball rolling," but noted that the deadline has passed for pre-filing legislation for the upcoming session. "I don't know how the General Assembly is going to act to grant an exemption," said Houck. "In present economic environment, I don't know how to predict legislation." Robin Knepper: 540/972-5701
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