Tayes Said More Discussion Needed on Jail Expansion

Putnam County District Four Commissioner Theresa Tayes said she believes more discussion is needed before the county moves forward on expanding its jail.

Tayes was the lone no vote on the commission’s decision to approve a jail location at Monday’s meeting. She said she was worried about the county’s fiscal health in the face of March’s tornado followed by the coronavirus outbreak.

“I just don’t really feel like it’s time to for them to bring in big projects, purchasing property, and taking a chance on us not having enough to operate,” Tayes said.

Tayes said she believes other commissioners share some of her concerns.

“A lot of us are on the same page,” Tayes said. “We’re worried about having to raise taxes, these people that are not able to work, and these businesses not being open. We’re all kind of on that same page.”

Tayes said she hopes to see more discussion on the project before the last decision to move forward is made.

“I want to see us discuss what exactly they’re going to do,” Tayes said. “This year is going to be a tough year budget wise. It’s going to be a tough year for a lot of different things, so our big projects can be put off until our economy picks back up and people get back on their feet.”

The commission decided Monday night to delay discussions on moving forward with the project until the full commission can meet in person.