Commission approves senior-correction-officer reclassification and renews jail health contract amid heated debate

Marshall County commissioners approved funding to reclassify an existing, unbudgeted correctional position to a senior correction officer and renewed the jail's health-services contract amid a prolonged exchange about staffing needs for the new jail.

The sheriff's office representative (speaker 2) asked that an unbudgeted correction officer position be moved to a senior correction officer role to provide day-to-day booking supervision and to be trained in advance of a new facility opening. He said roughly $12,992.61 was available in the current-year budget to cover the remainder of the year. "So what we're asking for today is take this correction officer position and move into a senior correction officer position," the representative said, explaining the operational need around booking and reducing errors.

Commissioners questioned the history of the vacancy and how long positions remain on the books if unfunded. Several members pushed for more paper documentation showing how the new jail's staffing would be paid and suggested tours of the facility to better understand operations. The representative said the new jail is planned for 250 beds and the employee complement will be approximately 28 staff; he reiterated an open invitation for commissioners to tour the booking operations.

The commission moved to approve the funding reclassification; roll call recorded at least one dissenting vote (Mister Watson voted No) and the motion carried. The transcript records discussion about overtime, staffing and fiscal planning but does not show an amendment that changed the requested funding amount.

Separately, the commission approved a routine renewal of the health-services contract with Southern Health Partners. Staff described a 3% increase to the base fee, resulting in an annual contract cost of $659,756.16, and noted a per-diem rate would rise for inmate populations above 280 to $150. Staff said the contract renewal fell within allowability thresholds tied to CPI and could be renewed without seeking a new bid.

The meeting also included procedural votes on claims and minutes, approval to sell or scrap some fixed assets, and scheduling announcements for upcoming public hearings (Crabtree Road and a petition in Jaggard Subdivision).

Next steps: county staff will execute the personnel reclassification in payroll and implement the renewed medical services contract; commissioners asked staff to provide written staffing and budget plans for the new jail at a future meeting.