NEW BOSTON, Texas - As Bowie County Commissioners spent Monday listening to next fiscal year's budget requests from county officials, they received one the they hadn't dealt directly with in 20 years - a county jail operations budget.
Having operated their jail throughout most of the 1990s the county returned directly to operating their jail following LaSalle Corrections departure Feb, 13 of this year.
With this upcoming fiscal year being the first complete fiscal year, the county will have to budget for jail operations. Sheriff Jeff Neal told commissioners the full year will likely have a $16 million price tag.
Neal pointed out that the Bowie County Corrections Center (Annex Jail) will require at least $750,000 of roof and guttering replacement, along with $58,000 more for air conditioning and compressor replacement, in addition to $106,000 more for computers and printers and $30,000 for personnel training.
Besides building repairs and technical equipment, the county will be maintaining it's current contract with the TurnKey Health Company for inmate medical services, along with paying $250,000 for assorted inmate supplies, (such as foot-ware, soap, towels, wash cloths, razors, toothpaste, shampoo, mattresses, mattress covers and pillows) as well as $85,000 for kitchen supplies(such as gloves, trays, cups,trashcans, trash bags,, mops and brooms) and $75,000 for sewing supplies, along with $45,000 for laundry supplies such as detergent, bleach.
Bowie County Precinct 4 Commissioner Mike Carter said the sheriffs office has done a good job assuming control of jail operations considering the fact that they had to jump into the task after LaSalle left in the middle of the current fiscal year which ends Sept. 30.
Prior starting work on the budget requests, commissioners held the first of their two regular meetings this month, at which time they declared some county property as surplus property and ready for sale as well as agreed to advertise for bids on a electric generator for the courthouse.