By Miles Layton

GATESVILLE — Gates County commissioners received updates Wednesday night on inmate medical cost savings, public safety investments, childcare expansion, water billing changes, a proposed sales tax referendum and county finances, as department heads and elected officials outlined progress and upcoming initiatives during the board’s regular meeting.

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Sheriff Ray Campbell opened the evening with what he described as “a lot of good news,” focusing primarily on significant cost savings related to inmate medical care, as well as equipment upgrades and department activity levels.

Campbell said one of the most persistent challenges facing the sheriff’s office since he took office has been the cost of inmate medical care, which is paid directly by the county rather than the state.

“You’ve heard me stand up here and talk about Prime Health before,” Campbell said. “But I wanted you to be able to hold that in your hand and look at it and see how much this company saved our county. This has to do with inmate medical bills. And that is something that has been a thorn in my side since I became sheriff.”

Campbell explained that when inmates require medical care while in custody, the financial responsibility falls on the county.

“When you have an inmate who’s in your custody and he goes to jail and he has a medical condition, there’s a cost for that,” he said. “And that cost comes directly back to the county. It’s not picked up by the state. Our county has to pay for that.”

Campbell said the county partnered with Prime Health after he learned about the company through the Food Service Association. Prime Health reviews inmate medical bills to ensure charges are accurate and appropriate.

“When we get the inmate medical bills, we send these bills directly to Prime Health and they do what’s called a scrub,” Campbell said. “And you can see by this, they’ve almost cut the bills almost in half.”

Campbell provided commissioners with specific figures from a recent billing period.

“You can see here their total charges from July to December, our inmate medical was $47,000,” he said. “Through Prime Health, that bill was cut to just a little over $29,000.”

The savings, he said, were substantial.

“So just in this statement alone, they saved the county almost $18,000,” Campbell said. “So it’s a wonderful thing and we have saved a lot of money.”

Campbell added that some inmates attempt to exploit the system.

“You’ve got inmates that are just trying to play the system and we call it incarceritis,” he said. “They’re fine, but once you put cuffs on them, they immediately get sick.”

In addition to medical cost savings, Campbell updated commissioners on equipment improvements within the sheriff’s office, including the rollout of body-worn cameras.

“Our body cameras are in,” he said. “We’re just getting started in the training on those.”

The department has 10 cameras, Campbell said, and expects to have them fully operational soon.

“We hope to have them on and the officers trained and ready to go by February 1st,” he said.

Campbell also announced the arrival of new patrol vehicles.

Campbell closed his report with an update on department workload.

“Our call volume for the month of December was 501 calls,” he said. “We’re still busy.”

Commissioner Brian Rountree used his remarks to recognize a new childcare business in the county, praising the opening of Totally Kids Learning Center and its owner, LaShonda Harrison. He said the facility fills a critical need in the community.

“This was a great daycare opportunity for our community because it relieves the public schools of their daycare challenges,” he said. “It also provides daycare for our citizens.”

Rountree said the business benefits both families and the local economy.

“And it’s a great business opportunity for Ms. Harrison,” he said.

Rountree said he attended an open house at the facility and was impressed by what he saw.

“The classrooms were structured well, they had some students there, teachers were on point, and the environment was a loving, nurturing environment,” he said.

He described the opening as a “win-win situation.”

“Daycare is very essential for the working class,” Rountree said. “You need a place that we can be comfortable and know that they’re being taught, know they have safety throughout the facility, and knowing that love and nurture is taking place.”

Rountree also noted Harrison’s partnership with Gates County Public Schools.

“I’m so grateful that she was able to partner with the Gates County Public Schools,” he said. “She’s providing great daycare services for our citizens and for our parents.”

Commissioner Jonathan Craddock followed with remarks touching on long-standing county issues, water billing changes and concerns raised by constituents.

Craddock also highlighted a key change for residents.

“Water billing going back monthly,” he said. “To get back on that monthly cycle is going to be better for everybody.”

He said he has heard from residents about the issue for years.

“I’ve had a number of citizens reach out to me over the last couple of years,” Craddock said.

Craddock also relayed concerns from constituents in the Eure area related to Board of Education vacancy — see our previous story here.

“My constituents in Eure don’t feel like they have a voice at the table,” he said.

He urged caution in decision-making until the seat is filled.

“Hopefully they will not be making any major decisions without great thought,” Craddock said. “And hopefully they can wait until they have that seat filled after the election.”

Commission Chairwoman Emily Truman later addressed questions surrounding the quarter-cent sales tax referendum scheduled for the March 3 primary.

“I know there were a lot of questions about what is this quarter-cent sales tax referendum,” Truman said. “It will be on the ballot on March 3rd in the primary.”

Truman said when the board previously discussed the measure in October, the purpose of the tax was to address food insecurity countywide.

“It would be countywide food insecurity,” Truman said.

She noted that during the most recent budget process, the county funded school nutrition programs.

“Right now in Gates County, all of the children in the public schools have free breakfast and lunch,” she said.

Truman said the results have been noticeable.

“There have been numerous positive statements from staff at the school stating how hungry kids made learning more difficult, and how it’s been better this year,” she said.

She said students are benefiting.

“The kids are not as anxious and not as irritable,” Truman said. “They’re fed, which is a big deal.”

Truman explained how the tax would work.

“If you spend $10,000 on sales in the county in a year, you’re going to have $25 go towards food insecurity,” she said.

She emphasized that essentials like groceries, prescriptions and gas would not be affected.

“All of these funds will go to food insecurity,” Truman said.

Human Resources Director and Assistant County Manager Warren Perry later presented the county’s new personnel policy manual, emphasizing the need for clarity and consistency—a policy the Commission approved unanimously.

“A personnel policy manual serves as the basis for all HR-related documents,” Perry said. “It ensures uniform standards across departments and locations and protects both the employer and employees.”

Perry said the policy also minimizes disputes and legal risk and aligns with labor laws.

“The personnel policy is the blueprint by which an organization runs,” he said.

He noted that previous boards had failed to adopt an updated policy.

“The commissioners in previous years had failed to adopt a new policy,” Perry said.

Perry outlined several changes, including longevity days, per diem increases, vacation accrual adjustments and overtime provisions.

Craddock said the process had taken years to complete and approve a new personnel policy.

“I’m going to throw a number out there. It’s probably been going on for 10 years,” he said.

Craddock praised county staff for finally bringing the matter to completion.

“We got it today,” he said. “That’s a big kudos to Mr. Perry and (County Manager) Mr. Scott Sauer for getting that accomplished.”

Perry also provided a financial update, noting improvements in fund balance and tax collection — good news!

“The fund balance for the general fund increased $554,798,” he said. “The unassigned fund balance is now $6,271,705.”

Board Clerk Renee Draper concluded the evening with a slideshow presentation covering emergency planning, upcoming events, tax reminders and public engagement efforts.

“At the very back of your agenda, you’re going to find detailed information from the recent Local Emergency Planning Committee,” Draper said.

She said the information was shared to promote transparency and public safety.

The Gates Commission approved a resolution in support of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.