Dougherty Commission approves 10% add-on fees for jail bonds, court fines to fund jail repairs

ALBANY – The Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office will have a new funding source for jail maintenance, one that will come with additional 10% fees on bonds and fines imposed by the court system.

The 10% add-on will go into effect in July and will be a stand-alone fund that, under state law, can be used for a jail construction and staffing fund. That law allows funds to be used for jail construction, operation and staffing expenses.

The fees will be collected by court officials and distributed to the county to spend on jail needs. The resolution approved by the commission limits the funds to use for capital spending and will not apply to salaries.

“We’ll fund the staffing,” Commissioner Clinton Johnson said.

Under the resolution passed by the commission, the account will be named the Jail Construction Fund to use for the purposes of construction and renovation.

That change is not an issue, Chief Deputy John Ostrander, who made a pitch for the jail fund during a commission work session last month, said. The sheriff’s office’s intention was to present the information to commissioners for them to make a decision. 

“The county would be free to name the account whatever they want,” he said. “The law defines what these funds can be used for, but you (county commissioners) have the final decision on how these funds are actually used, as long as it’s within the law.”

The resolution goes into effect on July 1, at which time the county will direct staff on how to collect the 10% fines on bonds for jail inmates and for fines imposed by county courts.