CABELL AND KANAWHA FACING WRENCHING JAIL BILLS

(03/21/2007)
West Virginia's two largest counties, Cabell and Kanawha, say they got little relief from the Legislature to help them pay their skyrocketing regional jail bill.

Kanawha's January jail bill was $407,000, averaging about $5 million a year.

Scott Bias, president of the Cabell County Commission, told media when everything is totaled up from the recent 60-day legislative session, his county will be even further in debt.

"I don't think the Legislature did anything significant to help us," he said.

Cabell County is planning to budget about $3 million for next year, but because of a court challenge the bill would have been about $700,000 more.

Bias said he and his fellow commissioners have told county officeholders to plan to work with no budget increases.