New Wilkes Jail Coming Soon

It should be completed sometime within the next year and a half.  Wilkes County Commissioners voted this week to build a new 224-bed jail next to the Wilkes County Courthouse in Wilkesboro.  County Finance Director and County Manager John Yates determined that the county could borrow up to 11 million dollars for the new jail without having to raise taxes.  The 11 million for the new jail is to be paid off in 20 years.  All four County Commissioners presented voted to build the new jail.  Commissioner Sink was unable to attend this week’s meeting.  Since late 2010, Wilkes County has been forced to pay to house prisoners in surrounding county jails due to the over-crowding problem at the Wilkes Jail.  Just last month, the County Commissioners voted to dissolve a proposal to build a 298-bed jail at the cost of 23.5 million dollars.  The current contract with Hemphill-Randel of Charlotte calls for the new 11 million dollar jail to be completed in Wilkes within 18 months.