For the third time Macon-Bibb Commissioner Mallory Jones urged commissioners to pass additional retirement funds for former police officers and firefighters, and this time it was approved.
"I first proposed this in March, it has not been a hurry-up process, it's been a slow methodical process," says Jones.
The proposal would give 301 people who joined the city's fire or police department before July 1985 an additional $100 each month.
Jones says he hasn't backed down, because he believes it's money the retirees have already saved.
He says, "From 1969 to 1985, these guys paid their own money into the fund, so they have thousands of dollars of their own money in it."
Knowing the full commission will get a chance to vote, Jones says he's confident his fellow commissioners will do what's right.
He says, "I'm hopeful it will get at least 5 votes, I think we'll get 6."
Until then, Jones says he will continue to advocate in order for the retirees to get their benefits.
The final vote was 3 to 2, with commissioners Gary Bechtel and Scotty Shepherd voting against it for the second time.
Commissioners Virgil Watkins, Elaine Lucas, and Larry Schlesinger, voted to approve it.
Full commission is expected to vote on this next week.
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$3.4 million on health services for inmates
A Macon-Bibb committee approved their annual agreement to pay for the cost of inmate health care at the jail.
This year, it added up to a little over $3.4 million dollars.
Bibb County Sheriff David Davis says there was a 3% increase due to the cost of living, but says this is average for this expense.
This is the fifth year the sheriff's office will contract with Correct Health Inmate Services.
Sheriff Davis says this money covers care for up to 966 inmates... a day.... any more than that... is a per inmate charge.
He says that cost strictly covers inmates physical health, not mental health problems, and the coverage begins the second handcuffs are put on.
Davis says, "We have to make sure they're healthy because on the flip side if we did not do this and we had someone who got bad sick or who died in our jail, well the resulting lawsuits from that would be a lot more than what we are paying for medical."
The $3 million dollar agreement still needs approval from the full commission next week.
