By Ray King
On Monday, Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson, other elected officials and members of the public gathered to cut the ribbon on two new county buildings, the Dr. Josetta E. Wilkins Health Center and the U.S. Brown Coroner’s Office.
On Tuesday, Robinson was a guest on the Oldies 101.3 morning show and was asked by Greg Horne about Robinson’s thought process that went into the new buildings.
The new buildings joined the Veteran’s Service office which was opened earlier this year. Robinson said as a former sheriff’s deputy and later sheriff, he was familiar with both the coroner’s office and the old veteran’s service office, both of which were located in the 100 block of Main Street. Later, after being elected county judge, Robinson said he talked to Coroner Chad Kelley and a representative of the veteran’s service office about the terrible condition those buildings were in.
“As public officials, we should not be satisfied with the condition of those buildings,” he said.
Robinson went on to talk about the Public-Private partnership which made the construction of those new buildings possible.
Jefferson County owes $14 million on the buildings and thanks to an improved financial picture, hopes to pay them off early.