MEMPHIS, Tenn. — On Monday, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners returned to a list of emergency funding that the Shelby County Sheriff's Office says are needed for immediate jail repairs. The commissioners approved the resolution, but with controversy.
Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner says that even though $10 million was approved for these emergency repairs at 201 Poplar, he is still disappointed because the Sheriff's Office asked for $16.4 million in total funding.
"Now we have to prioritize what we can fix and what we can't fix," he said. "This is a very important issue with the detainees, as well as the staff."
Bonner was dissatisfied following a lengthy conversation during the Shelby County Board of Commissioners meeting, discussing funding that would go towards immediate necessary repairs at the Shelby County Jail.
"Ten million will not complete the entire jail," he said. "You know, we're talking about a 42-year-old facility. If you heard Mr. Hart talk about all the plumbing issues, the air conditioning issues that's causing the rust in the building, this building is a constant problem."
The resolution amendment was approved with an eight to three vote, with one abstention. This funding will reallocate $5 million from the Capital Improvement Project Funds and another 5 million from American Rescue Plan Act funding. This is slated to bring multiple items in the 42-year-old jail up to code, including escalators and what Sheriff Bonner says will be a completely new door system. Commissioner Dr. Edmund Ford Jr. said this did not align with what he'd hoped for.
"It was brought to my attention that all of our dollars for ERP took care of that project to where there's going to be $6 million available anyway, but that might have changed," he said. "I'm not inclined to go this route. I'm more inclined to what was in front of us before."
Several other commissioners expressed concern with the funds being carried out of the CIP funds, which will be taken from those ERP software and IT project funds mentioned. Bonner said it would not be a problem for him to go before the board of commissioners again and petition for the additional $6 million in funding.