| The West Virginia Regional Jail Authority is asking state counties to pay up their back jail bills.
Fortunately, the Calhoun Commission has managed to keep the jail bill paid up. A few years ago, the county did not have the funds to pay the bill, which spiked to about $200,000.
West Virginia counties owe the state system about $8.5 million to house their prisoners.
Joe Thornton, deputy secretary of the State Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, told reporters the state is going to aggressively make counties pay their bills.
The WV Supreme Court has ruled counties must pay.
Fifty-one owe $2 million at the end of the fiscal year 2007.
Kanawha, Berkley and Mercer owe over $1 million.
Braxton owes $523,000, with Fayette, Monroe, Cabell and Wood also owing six figures.
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