Burke County to spend speed camera funds on jail renovation
WAYNESBORO, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The Burke County Board of Commissioners has voted to allocate school zone camera funds towards detention center renovations.
At a board meeting on April 8, commissioners voted 4-1 in favor of the motion.
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Commissioners say there is currently $706,000 in the fund, all of which will be allocated towards the detention center renovation project.
Meeting minutes show commissioners Tommy Nix, Art Lively, Evans Martin and Rodney Braswell voted in favor, and Commissioner Terri Kelly opposed.
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Kelly voiced concern over the allocation of the entire amount for project use, suggesting the use of a percentage instead, according to the meeting minutes.
“We’re going to use things for public safety. That’s what we’re supposed to use this for, public safety,” said Kelly. “It may not be just for the sheriff’s department. We’re not thinking about E911, we talked about some of the things in the work session for Helene. We still have projects going on that we can use the money for. I’m not for putting all of the camera fund money into the detention center.”
Nix moved to allocate the $706,000 in the school zone camera fund for the Detention Center renovation project and to determine a percentage of the fund to be allocated toward the project during budget discussions. Lively seconded the motion.
According to County Manager Merv Waldrop, the current law allows those funds to be used for law enforcement or public safety initiatives.
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“One of the areas that the sheriff’s department has asked us to look at is the renovation of the jail. The board has agreed and hired an engineering firm to do an assessment. They’ve come back with plans, and I think we’re going to be ready to go bid in the next few months,” said Waldrop. “We’ve got $5 million plus set aside for it. It’s probably going to cost us closer to $10 million, hopefully not more than that. We will see when the bids come back. The camera fund money can be used for that. That will help offset that.”
Waldrop says the school zone cameras are currently raising revenue at a rate of almost $1 million a year.
“That could help us offset the need without having to go to the general fund or property tax to pay for the rest of the renovations,” said Waldrop.
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