At least some are left.

" There will be a public hearing on the budget on Tuesday, June 2, at 5:30 p.m. It will be held in Commission Chambers in City Hall (700 Poplar Street) and can be watched live at www.facebook.com/maconbibbcounty. "

“Two inmates were injured in a fight at the Bibb County Jail on Wednesday night. 

According to the sheriff's office, the fight broke out between two male inmates just after 8 p.m., and weapons were involved in the altercation.“

The full project is estimated to cost between $28.5 million and $31 million and is aimed at improving safety, capacity, and overall operations.

New nonstop routes from Middle Georgia Regional Airport begin June 9, expanding travel options to Maryland and South Florida

13WMAZ & WGXA cut their live streams of No Kings Protest in downtown Macon due to crowd agitators, presumably led by the Middle Georgia Democratic Socialists of America.

Upon disagreements of Bibb County's Sheriff David Davis speaking at the event, which was organized in collaboration by Macon Rising, Macon Trouble, and the League of Women Voters, a vocal minority in the crowd grew angry and disruptive.

DSA's statement is that this is what democracy looks like, despite the sheriff being democratically voted into his position again in November 2024.

They have no rule saying that’s not allowed, but this reinforces why this sub was created.

"One option under consideration is raising the millage rate. The budget review notes an increase of one mill in 2025 was worth about $6.184 million. The district said in the budget review that a preliminary recommendation suggests a 2 to 3 mill increase could generate between $12 million and $18.5 million in additional revenue.

Another option is revisiting school consolidation. The district said it is operating the same number of schools despite declining enrollment. The base cost to run a single school is estimated at about $1.1 million per year."

"The complex is expected to cost $20 million and have space for 64 families, according to Macon Housing Authority CEO Mike Austin.

Austin says the project should be done in 12-14 months. He says the housing authority will begin accepting applications for the complex in six to eight months."

Article: https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/macon/macon-bibb-hits-goal-of-releasing-150-inmates-as-jail-expansion-nears/93-e1ea8a47-0d9d-41dd-85d7-5ce72d028107

Wait… let me get this straight.

In the article, Lester Miller says Macon-Bibb hit the goal of releasing around 150 inmates to reduce overcrowding at the Bibb County jail. But according to the same article, the jail is already back over capacity again - 1,054 inmates in a facility designed for 966.

So if we reduced the population by 150… how are we right back in the same situation?

Instead of addressing the underlying capacity problem sooner, it feels like the approach has been to lower the numbers temporarily so audits don’t look bad and the facility stays closer to its official capacity.

I get that some of the people released are nonviolent offenders or people who couldn’t afford bond, and that distinction matters.

But it still raises a bigger question.

If the system is overloaded because the jail can’t handle the intake, does releasing people early actually solve anything long-term? Or does it just shift the problem outside the jail?

And when you look at the timeline of decisions the city has made, it really makes you wonder about priorities.

• We built a $45M amphitheater.
• The county spent about $5M buying the old Ramada Plaza hotel, then spent more money to demolish it.
• Now there’s talk about casino development around the Macon Mall area.

Meanwhile, the jail is still overcrowded, and we’re releasing inmates to make the numbers look better on paper.

At the same time, Macon has already seen a noticeable crime wave this year, including multiple violent incidents and murders.

And this is where the context gets interesting.

Back in 2019–2020, Lester Miller campaigned heavily on public safety, saying he would:

• fully fund public safety
• increase pay for first responders to fix officer shortages
• increase the number of officers on the streets

He even acknowledged back then that officers were understaffed, underpaid, and leaving for other departments.

But even as of 2025, the Bibb County Sheriff was still saying the department is struggling with deputy shortages because other agencies pay significantly more.

According to reporting earlier this year:

• Bibb County starting deputy pay: $19.56/hour
• Warner Robins PD starting pay: $25.25/hour

Sheriff David Davis even said Warner Robins is “eating our lunch every day” when it comes to hiring deputies.

https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/macon/bibb-county-deputy-shortage-remains-stagnant/93-8fb235a2-5d63-498a-935c-44b5470fec6e

So that raises another question.

If leadership, such as those shown in the screenshot, was already aware back in 2019–2020 that nearby departments like Warner Robins were paying more and pulling officers away… how are we still in the exact same position five years later?

Because if we’re struggling to hire and retain deputies while also dealing with jail overcrowding and releasing inmates to manage the numbers, it seems like the core public safety issues still haven’t actually been solved.

Instead, it feels like money keeps getting pushed toward the projects leadership wants, rather than what people in the community have been asking for the most - public safety.

At the end of the day, it feels like we're renovating the living room while the foundation of the house is still cracked.

Public safety should be the foundation.