Sullivan County Treasurer Ira Cohen believes the county should rebid the process in hiring an architectural firm to design and build a new county jail.

The county has not officially decided to move forward with a new facility to replace the 100-year-old Monticello jail, but have been leaning toward an $80 million plan from Labella company.

Months ago, Cohen brought the county an alternative, Goldberg Associates, which proposed building a new jail for $45 million.

“For me it’s not a matter of Goldberg versus LaBella,” Goshen said, noting there are other companies aside from LaBella. “Competition is good. It forces the price down if the process works. Goldberg came in and said LaBella is overpriced. To what degree that is true, obviously anybody’s design would have to be approved by the county and the state.”

LaBella told the county legislature in March that with some cost-cutting, the cost could possibly be brought down to near $60 million but cautioned, in essence, that you get what you pay for.

The county treasurer thinks the legislature will select a company and seek bond financing for the new jail next year.

(Source: MidHudsonNews)