Liberty County Judge Jay Knight said he will not seek another term after the one he won this week. His fourth term begins in January 2027 and is set to end in December 2030, when he will be 75. Speaking on Bluebonnet News' "Headlines and Heartlines" podcast, Knight said he hopes to finish a new county jail, a drainage plan and transportation projects before he leaves office.
Knight said he took office in January 2015 with five priorities: law enforcement, transportation, drainage, economic development and replacing the Liberty County Jail. He said the county has made significant progress but that much work remains. The county plans a 500-bed jail behind the Law Enforcement Center on SH 146 in Liberty. Commissioners chose that option last month over a 600-bed facility. Knight said the county has about $110 million for the project and plans to stay within that amount.
Knight said the county spends about $4.5 million a year to house inmates in other counties. He estimated that amount would cover more than half of the annual debt service on the new jail. The county is negotiating a guaranteed maximum construction price. Knight said he could not give a groundbreaking date yet, but the general design and footprint are set. The county owns about 70 acres around the Law Enforcement Center.