Commissioners approve $16,516 reallocation to replace prison washer

Harris County Commissioners on March 18 approved a budget adjustment to buy a replacement industrial washer-extractor for the county jail, reallocating funds originally budgeted for a new boiler.

The commission voted to allow the warden to use a line item earmarked for a boiler and add an additional $516 to cover the $16,516 cost after a $2,500 trade-in credit. County staff had estimated repairs to the failing unit at about $8,204.37 but recommended replacement because of reliability concerns with the facility's existing equipment.

Warden Dexter Jenkins told the commission the jail currently has two washers and that the remaining working machine is 18 years old and approaching the end of its useful life. "We only have two washers that are off the board side of the prison," Jenkins said. "Currently, the one that's still working is 18 years old today. It is a milliner and it's holding pretty strong, but we're just thinking we are at the age, it's pretty much coming close to its life expectancy."

According to the staff report presented to the board, the county had budgeted $16,000 in the prison budget for a new boiler and had not used those funds; the replacement washer price was $19,016 less a $2,500 credit with Tri State, leaving a net $16,516 request. The commission approved the motion to reallocate the funds; individual roll-call votes were not recorded in the meeting minutes.

The action was described as a budget-line reallocation rather than a new appropriation; no additional follow-up tasks or external approvals were required for the purchase beyond the county purchasing process.