Fayette

County and the Board of Education are going to be

coming to local taxpayers for mega-bucks at about

the same time.

Now

that expansion of the property available for a

new county government complex has been completed,

officials are working on funding possibilities

and detailed plans for a jail and judicial

complex, and will be looking for $60 million to

$65 million this fall.

"We

still have a huge decision - how do we raise

this kind of money?" said Commissioner Greg

Dunn, who is heading up a committee to plan the

new jail and courthouse. Commissioners will

ponder that decision for the next month and hopes

to have plans in place by September.

Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax is one

possibility, but Dunn said commissioners are well

aware that the county school board will probably

be launching its own SPLOST in an effort to fund

about $95 million worth of school construction.

Commissioners will be considering several funding

possibilities, he said.

The

county's need for funding has been reduced

somewhat by the recent purchase of land so that

the current jail and judicial complex can be

used, rather than starting from scratch and

building new facilities.

Plans

are to use the existing courthouse as a new

sheriff's office, then add two new pods similar

to the existing ones at the jail. One pod will

provide medium-security lodging for prisoners and

one will be minimum-security. The existing jail

will house maximum-security prisoners, and

additional support facilities such as a jail

administrative office and medical clinic will

have to be added on.

Two

additional jail pods have been designed, but

won't be built until they're needed, said Dunn.

The

jail portion of the project will cost about $28

million, and a new courthouse will be about $35

million.

Tentative

plans include a tunnel connecting the jail and

courthouse to ensure maximum security while

transporting prisoners.

The

Sheriff's Department has been involved in every

step of the planning process, said Dunn.

"It's going to be sort of chaotic for the

sheriff while we're doing this," he said,

adding, "It's been a very good working

relationship."

Sheriff's

officials would prefer a new building, but are

supportive of efforts to save money, Dunn said.

"We can save money and still provide for all

their needs.

"They're

doing a phenomenal job in there right now,"

Dunn said of the sheriff's officials. The jail is

handling twice as many prisoners as it was

designed for, and there's no space to completely

separate hardened criminals from those who are in

jail for lesser crimes.

Commissioners

will soon approach the city of Fayetteville about

abandoning most of Long Street so the county can

close the street and make it part of the

government complex. "I think everybody

understands the need," said Dunn.

When

the time comes to add the County Administrative

Complex to the site, Dunn said, plans are to make

that facility big enough that all county services

can be housed there.

Currently,

the county rents space at several places around

Fayetteville, in addition to owning the Stonewall

Avenue complex.

The

entire site will be master-planned.

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