Gadsden decides not to renew jail contract with Etowah County

The city of Gadsden agreed Tuesday to send inmates to Attalla and Boaz instead of renewing a contract with the Etowah County Commission to house prisoners at the Etowah County Detention Center. Council members estimate the change, which will go into effect Thursday with the start of the new fiscal year, will save the city $400,000 to $500,000.  Gadsden inmates currently are housed at the Etowah Detention Center, but the City Council and the County Commission reached an agreement this year when discussing a contract for the upcoming year.  Under the previous contract, the city had to guarantee 40 beds at the jail, and the cost was expected to increase to about $857,000.  The County Commission also gave the city a deadline of Oct. 1 to reach an agreement.  Female prisoners will be sent to the Boaz municipal jail, and male prisoners will be sent to the Attalla municipal jail.  Gadsden will pay Attalla $600 per day for 12 prisoners, with an additional $45 per day for each prisoner above 12. Gadsden will receive a credit of $50 per prisoner per day if the number of prisoners is under 12 on a given day.  The agreement with Boaz is for $500 per day for 10 prisoners, with an additional $50 per day for each prisoner above 12. Gadsden also will receive a credit of $50 per prisoner per day if the number of prisoners is under 10.  Tuesday’s agreements with Boaz and Attalla were memorandums of understanding and will serve as a tentative agreement until a more formal contract for prisoner housing is drawn up. The city also approved its Fiscal Year 2016 budget, which passed despite a dissenting vote from Councilman Thomas Worthy.

While the budget includes a 2.5 percent raise for full-time city employees and a 50-cents-per-hour increase for part-time employees, it also includes an increase in the cost of retirees’ health insurance. Worthy voiced his concerns about that at last week’s meeting.