BELMONT, NY - Public officials were on hand to officially cut the ribbon on the newly-constructed Allegany County Jail and Public Safety Facility.

“This jail and public safety facility that we dedicate to public service is the culmination of two decades of planning and discussion on the part of the Allegany County Legislature,” said Sheriff Randal Belmont.

He said by the late 1980s, the state was calling on the county to correct deficiencies in the county jail. In the 1990s, the state Commission of Corrections used financial pressure to force the county into compliance with its standards.

Property for the facility was purchased in 1997, and a resolution by the Board of Legislators, passed on June 14, 2004, initiated construction for the project.

“As sheriff, I did not desire a new jail,” Sheriff Belmont said. “I run whatever jail I'm charged with running. But once our county committed to this project, I was bound to see it through to a successful completion.”

He said for the facility to be done on budget and on time is no mean feat.

“On budget, on time is not a given when you embark on a job of this nature,” he said. “Today, as we dedicate this facility, there are other counties in New York wrestling with public safety projects millions of dollars over budget, months and years behind schedule. I'm very proud of the work that's brought us to this point.”

Chairman of the Board of Legislators Curt Crandall, R-Caneadea, also expressed his pleasure with the completion of the facility.

“It's finally here, a day I never thought I'd ever arrive at — the carpet is down, the lights are on, and the project is under budget,” Mr. Crandall said.

He said credit is due to his predecessors, the late Edgar Sherman, R-Little Genesee, and former Chairman James Palmer, R-Alfred, for their efforts to get the project off the ground.

“They took all of the grief, now I get all the glory,” Mr. Crandall said.

He said a new building isn't what keeps the people of Allegany County safe.
“Buildings are only mortar and brick,” Mr. Crandall said. “Our true asset is the people who work in them.”

New York State Commission of Corrections Chairman Daniel Stewart told the gathered public he realizes what a huge burden a new jail can place on the taxpayers.

“It is really very difficult for local communities at times to handle these situations, especially when it comes to money,” Mr. Stewart said.

His commissioner, Fred Lamy, said the investment will pay off in future years.
“The long road will show this was a great, great decision,” Mr. Lamy said. “It will save you tons of money in the long run.”

Assemblyman Dan Burling, R-Warsaw; Bill Heaney, regional representative for Gov. George Pataki; and Terry Moran from the Commission of Corrections also spoke at the event.