Publisher's Note: This article originally appeared in the Beaufort Observer.
At the recent candidates forum for the Washington City Council one of the questions posed to the candidates was related to how the city and county could cooperate better. Everyone was in favor of more effective coordination and cooperation. Yet when a question was asked about the location of a new jail there was little mention of the economic impact moving the jail outside the Washington downtown area.
There have constant rumors that the intent of those county commissioners who have already voted build a new jail in the Chocowinity Industrial Park is to also build a new Sheriff's Office there also. Consequently there have been rumors that the real intent is to move the court system to the same site. Clearly if such were done it would have a tremendous impact on the Washington Downtown, particularly if the law offices followed.
But the decision made last February by the County Commission's Gang of Four (Langley, Booth, Belcher and Klemm) was initially made to put the jail in the Washington Industrial Park. That decision was made without any significant participation by the City Council, even though the City is part owner of that industrial park. When it became obvious the Washington City Council was not in support of putting the jail in the Washington Industrial Park the Gang of Four voted to put it in the Chocowinity Industrial Park. Indications are (from the minutes of the Chocowinity Town Board) there was little involvement of Chocowinity in that decision.
Thus, with that background, many of our readers will find very enlightening some comments made by Washington City Councilman Doug Merger at the candidates' forum. As usual, Mr. Mercer had done his homework. He had investigated the impact of putting the jail in the Chocowinity Industrial Park on the Chocowinity/Washington sewer system. You can hear his comments in the video clip below:
Following the forum, write-in candidate for Washington Mayor, Carter Leary contacted the Observer and offered us the following statement:
I was extremely disappointed that the Republican Club did not allow me and the other candidate for mayor of Washington to speak at the Forum. Had I been allowed to speak here is what I planned to say:
The decision of whether to move the jail from near the Courthouse should be a joint decision between the City of Washington and the County. While it is true the County is legally responsible for providing the jail facilities, the jail is dependent on utilities provided by the City of Washington. For that reason if none other, but also for a number of other reasons, the lack of coordinated planning, not only for a jail but for the entire county and city government complexes should be done cooperatively. We need a master plan for both city and county facilities and the infrastructure that will be needed to support those facilities over the next fifty years, at least. I see no sign of such coordinated planning and as mayor that is one of the top priorities I would have.
For example, if the sewer capacity currently contracted to Chocowinity by the City is consumed by a large law enforcement/judicial complex, plus the Rest Area, on the Chocowinity system, it will have significant implications for the availability of sewer to support residential and commercial growth in the Chocowinity area. That growth could be a helpful addition to the tax base. Wouldn't we rather have several multi-million dollars hotels and restaurants in that area that are offering jobs and paying taxes than a jail? But if sewer is an impediment, the question is where would the growth go? At some point we are going to have to look at a sewer system in a much larger area than is now served. You can't have growth without sewer and Washington controls the sewer system and therefore has to be a player in the planning.
I think the jail should remain near the courthouse. But that's just my opinion. That question should be decided be decided by a vote of the people, and the people should certainly vote on whether or not to borrow increase the county's debt. And I strongly believe the courthouse, including the courtrooms, clerk's office and other county functions should remain in the downtown area.
The simple fact is that it is unwise for the county to make facility plans without factoring in the infrastructure that will be needed. And Washington has a significant part of that infrastructure. It is crazy that we don't have a comprehensive facilities plan before we start building new jails, law enforcement offices and whatever they're going to do.
I think the City should insist that the County cease and desist plans for a new jail until such a comprehensive, long-range facilities/infrastructure plan is jointly developed between the city and the county.
Commentary
We think Mr. Leary has an excellent, common sense approach to how the jail decision should be made. It is absurd for the county to plan a new jail outside the downtown area without involving the City in those plans. Mr. Leary is exactly right.
But we would go one step further.
The Board of Education should also be included in this planning. The county owns the large tract of land they propose to use for a jail. But the jail would take up only part of that tract. So what do they plan to do with the remainder?
There are few signs that the track of land, with or without the jail there, will ever become a viable industrial park any time soon. Much sooner, the county will be faced with building a new middle school in the Chocowinity area, and perhaps even an additional elementary school. That is a growth area. The current Chocowinity Middle School is the most inadequate facility in the county now (apart from the Ed. Tech Center) and has already exceeded its useful life. Should the city, county and school board not at least discuss whether this site would be better suited for a school than a jail/law enforcement complex?
We don't know. But neither does the County Commission. Nor the City Council. They do not know simply because they do not have a long range facility plan such as Mr. Leary is calling for. He told us he does not know what that plan should contain, only that a coordinated plan, with all stakeholders involved, should precede the building of anything. We think he is exactly correct.
