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Upson County approves armed campus security contract for Tax Commissioner offices
Summary
The board approved contracting with Protection Agency and Security Staffing to provide armed security at the Drake Building and related county facilities serving the Tax Commissioner’s office; commissioners emphasized preference for local hires, asked for contract termination provisions, and discussed timing and public notice for office closures during the move.
The Upson County Board of Commissioners voted April 28 to contract with private security vendors to provide armed campus security for the Drake Building campus, where the Tax Commissioner’s office is located.
Tax Commissioner (presenting) told the board he had interviewed vendors and circulated a scored RFP packet. He recommended three firms as comparable in cost and suitability and said he favored firms that would hire locally and provide consistent, regular guards. "Any three of them, I would be happy with," the Tax Commissioner said, noting one firm followed up frequently and proposed hiring two local staff.
Commissioners probed backup coverage, insurance, contracting vehicle and how to allocate costs across multiple offices in the building. Staff said vendors carried their own liability insurance and provided documentation in proposals. Commissioners discussed whether the county should contract directly (the board) rather than charging a single department budget so costs could be allocated fairly across offices.
A motion to approve contracting with Protection Agency and Security Staffing for armed campus security was made and seconded; the motion passed by roll call. Commissioners asked staff to provide at least two weeks' public notice before closing offices for a move and discussed including a termination clause in the contract if vendor performance was inadequate.
Why it matters: The contract centralizes security for multiple county offices in the Drake Building and creates an ongoing county expense and operational dependency on private vendors; commissioners emphasized local hiring and demanded contractual protections such as termination terms.
What’s next: Staff will negotiate details of the contract, confirm start dates with the chosen vendor, and post public notice if offices will be closed for the physical move or furniture installation.
