REGIONAL JAIL BILL A BIG SURPRISE - County Gears Up For Election

(10/08/2008)
The County Clerk's office with Calhoun commissioner's present will be public testing early voting machines today at the courthouse.

The testing of all voting machines will be done on October 28, according to Clerk Richard Kirby.

Early voting starts in the clerk's office on October 15.

Commissioner's will be attempting to get the walking trail project for the Upper West Fork Park under construction with the approval of a bid this Thursday at 3:30 p.m. Movement on the walking trail has been stuck in Charleston for several months.

A short-lived $25,286 adjusted carry-over was used to back-pay charges owed to the Regional Jail system.

The total jail bill, including current charges of $6,321, have been paid.

Clerk Richard Kirby says the county received a bill from the system for $25,106, saying it was for charges that had apparently been overlooked and not previously billed.

Commissioners believed the jail bill was paid up-to-date, but following several counties declining to pay the jail bill, an audit apparently found a number of overlooked charges over past years.

Kirby said it is likely charges for housing prisoners in other regional jails.

The commission expressed concerns about the faulty billing system, which the state says they have now corrected.

The county's "excess funds" placed aside for an emergency have already been depleted.

The commission, some time back, faced a serious situation in paying off back charges of about $200,000 to the jail system.

- A bid was approved for a new vehicle for E-911

- Representatives of the state auditor's office appeared with a presentation to issue a credit card the county could use to make purchases

- Sheriff Carl Ballengee said he is working on a system used by other counties to use a credit card to pay taxes

- 911 Director Gary Buchanan gave an update on FEMAs flood plain requirements that are now in effect

- The Wood Festival gave a report on Wayne Underwood Field, saying an increasing number of walkers are complaining about skateboarders using the track, saying a complaint has been filed where a skateboarder struck a woman and child, with Judy Powell saying "It is becoming a real problem with the elderly"

- Commissioner Helmick reported that CRI owes The Little Kanawha Bus System $170,000, the bus system has separated from the poverty agency