Mercer County still looking for solution to Southern Regional Jail costs

PRINCETON, WV (WOAY) – Mercer County officials are looking for solutions to the county’s jail bill.

Every day the county pays $5,000 for housing inmates at Southern Regional Jail.

Mercer County Commissioner Greg Puckett says that a majority of the county’s general use funds go towards the jail bill. They want to find ways to lower that and instead have a chance to spend more on economic development. 

“The tax dollars are that 77 cents of every dollar goes to the school levy, 23 cents goes to general revenue. And of that general revenue, $1.6 million, basically the greatest outlay of money that we have in the county, goes to pay for incarcerated individuals,” Puckett said.

The County wants to work with the West Virginia Legislature to find ways to lower their jail bill.

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