Parker County commissioners propose new jail location to cut costs

The Parker County Commissioners Court is changing the tide on the proposed jail expansion — opting to house the facility in another location entirely instead of expanding the existing Parker County Jail in Weatherford.

During a regular meeting Oct. 13, Precinct 3 Commissioner Larry Walden proposed a new location for the jail expansion: the site of a former state prison pre-release facility in Mineral Wells.

“Our emphasis all the time has been how to save taxpayer money,” Walden said, during the meeting. “Continuously, we’ve been looking for other alternatives that might save taxpayer money and might make this bond proposal as a whole a little bit more palatable.”