The Mobile County Commission is weighing how to spend roughly $7 million in unexpected budget surplus, with a jail expansion emerging as a leading contender for the money.
Finance Director Michelle Herman told commissioners the surplus developed after a combination of cost-cutting measures, a modest rise in sales tax revenue and proceeds from county property sales. About $1 million of the surplus was already used to give county employees a 2.5 percent raise two months early, along with a one-time $500 payment.
Commission President Connie Hudson said the remaining balance should go toward infrastructure and building needs that have been waiting for funding, and that she plans to push for a feasibility study on expanding Mobile County Metro Jail. Commissioner Jerry Carl, who has described the aging facility as a constant exercise in “managing chaos,” toured a similar expansion project underway at a jail in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and said the investment needed for a comparable project in Mobile County would likely run into the tens of millions of dollars.
Sheriff Sam Cochran said he welcomed the discussion, calling jail capacity “one of the biggest challenges the county faces.” He pointed to the facility’s small medical unit and booking area as priorities for any expansion, noting that cramped conditions make it harder to safely process inmates and treat those who are sick. Cochran also said the closure of Searcy Hospital, the state’s former psychiatric facility, has added pressure on the jail as it takes in more inmates with mental health needs.
Hudson said she intends to bring together local public safety officials in the coming weeks to map out shared goals before any construction plans move forward. She cautioned that a formal feasibility study, covering location, cost and scope, needs to come first. “There’s a lot of details, and the devil is always in the details,” she said.
The jail has been expanded twice since it was built, but neither of those past projects touched the medical or booking areas that officials now say are most in need of more space. County leaders say no final decisions have been made, and any expansion would still need commission approval and a clearer cost estimate before moving forward.