Gadsden mayor says no to county jail contract offer

Mayor Sherman Guyton

Gadsden Mayor Sherman Guyton Tuesday rejected on offer on a new jail contract with Etowah County. in no uncertain terms.  The Etowah County Commission has set an October 1^st deadline for the city to reach an agreement with the county on a new contract.

Mayor Guyton told the city council Tuesday that The city of Gadsden is not going to pay $900,000 per year for beds they are not going to use. The contract was expected to increase to about $857,000, which is up from the $840,000 the city paid the county last year to house inmates. The city also has to guarantee 40 beds under the contract.

Guyton said he thinks it’s a shame that they are only charging the federal government $45 per day for housing INS prisoners, while the city has to pay $60 per day and guarantee 40 beds “On top of that, the mayor said the city is  down to using about 15 beds per day, leaving 25 empty beds that the city continues to have to pay for.