FREDERICK – The Tillman County Board of Commissioners wants to ensure it has a voice if another county proposes building a jail in Tillman County.
The commissioners voted 3-0 April 29 to require any county government to obtain permission from the commission before opening a jail or other detention-related operation in Tillman County, Chairman Levi Krasser said in a May 3 phone interview. The goal is to ensure that the commission plays a role in discussions concerning those projects.
“It’s not necessarily a measure to block anything,” Krasser said. “It’s just to keep us in the loop (and) to look out for our constituents also.”
He said another county may be interested in building a jail in Tillman County, but he was not at liberty to discuss specific details.
Krasser said the commission also wants to ensure that negotiations over a new jail address the possible impact on local law enforcement agencies, including the Tillman County Sheriff’s Office.
“Obviously, if you have more inmates and stuff in your county, it’s just going to add stress to that with your sheriff’s department and also your dispatch and everyone else involved,” he said.