County Mayor Eugene Ray told Bedford County Board of Commissioners' law enforcement and workhouse committee on Thursday that he has been to see the new jail in Franklin County, and that Franklin County plans to add a justice center to the facility as well.

County officials have struggled with how to address space problems at the jail and with various courthouse and judicial offices. Building a combined jail and justice center would probably take a 25-acre site, Ray said -- which, according to committee members, means the county would have to find a site for it away from the square.

But some downtown merchants and attorneys strongly oppose moving any of the county offices which are now on the square. They say they depend on that traffic and claim that moving some of the county's operations away from the square could be devastating to that district in general and to some of their specific businesses.

Some of the proposals for keeping the judicial system on the square have involved adapting space on or near the square into an additional courtroom, to supplement the three courtrooms in the county courthouse. The problem is not just space; it has been stated at previous meetings that it would be hard for the layout of the current courthouse to be adapted to meet modern security requirements.

Ray said that, after the county gets through with its current budget process, the commission will have to take a more serious look at how to move forward.

In other discussion, while food costs in general have been rising, they took a dip at the jail and workhouse during the month of May.

Sheriff's Department Administrator Larry Lowman said costs were lower because the department had previously stocked up on some items. The monthly cost should return to normal next month, he said.

Ray said that when a new jail is built, it may have some space for the inmates to grow some of their own vegetables.