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Resident urges transparency on juvenile detention center costs; council hears mixed public comment
Summary
A Forney resident urged the council to seek an itemized breakdown and questioned the $40 million cost for a county juvenile detention center after a related proposition passed; another speaker praised Forney city government.
During open forum, resident Tessa Horton expressed concern about a recently passed proposition to build a juvenile detention center and asked for more transparency from county officials about the project's cost and scope.
"I do not think that means that we should dump $40,000,000 into this facility," Horton said, adding that she believed a library should be a higher priority for the community. Horton said she understood the county's need to avoid transporting juveniles across the state but questioned the facility's cost given a reported 32 beds. "I'm not sure why a 1 bed would cost 1,250,000.00," she said, and asked the city to seek an itemized breakdown of the construction costs.
Horton also noted low turnout for the election, saying "only about 7% of Forney voted," and asked that taxpayers receive more detail on where funds would be spent. The council did not take action on the matter during the meeting; open forum rules were noted by staff that the council could not engage in detailed back-and-forth during the public-comment portion.
Another speaker, Terrence Johnson of Princeton, offered congratulations to Mayor Robertson and praise for the council's work, saying Forney was "a class act" and that other nearby communities were watching Forney for ideas.
No staff or council budgetary response or follow-up directive was made on the juvenile detention comments during the meeting record.
