FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE…
Thursday, July 16th, 2015
New Jail Food Contract Saves Over $76,000.00 Annually
Sheriff Mitch Ralston Announces:
Effective July 1st, the Sheriff’s Office entered into a new contract for food services for the county jail. The result of this contract will be an annual savings of over $76,000.00. The winner of the bid process was ‘ABL Management Inc.’ which is headquartered in Baton Rouge Louisiana and already services a number of other jails and institutions in Georgia. The price-per-meal was reduced by forty (40) cents.
Sheriff Ralston said, “This is a significant savings to our budget and for the taxpayers of our community. It is another example of how my staff and I look for ways to cut costs and improve services every day. Budget management is a day-to-day process; a jail is a necessary burden that good people have to fund to keep our community safe, and that’t why it’s so important that we manage it wisely and effectively. A jail will never be a means to raise revenue, but we are always looking for new ways to offset costs and see that we get the most cost efficient operation possible. This really is another example of how we’ve consistently reduced spending since I took office in 2009. In that year alone we returned 2.9 million dollars to the General Fund, and through a policy of strict management by myself and senior staff, we have arrived under budget for the past seven years. I would like to thank the Board of Commissioners for their input and efforts in this project. This fiscal year in addition to the annual $76,000.00 saved on the jail food contract, in July we reduced our monthly telephone services by $500.00 by upgrading technology while terminating unneeded contracts. I would also like to take this opportunity to announce that beginning next month, August 1st, we will be making reports and other open records available to the public by e mail at no cost. This will not only be more convenient for the public, it will reduce clerical and printing expenses. I look forward to continuing this strategy of financial responsibility while keeping our county the safest community possible in which to live, work, and raise our families.”