CAIRO — Grady County commissioners voted last week to increase rental deposits at the Grady County Agri-Center after several previous patrons apparently left the building in disarray.

Rental deposits at the Agri-Center will now cost $250, up from the previous rate of $100. 

The $150 increase is intended to dissuade renters from leaving the building messy or damaged — an issue county officials say has become frequent practice over the past several months.

“We’re having to fix it back up and it’s costing us more than $150 to do it,” said Commissioner Phillip Drew. “That’s coming out of our taxpayers’ money.

“We want to have a place to rent,” Drew added, “but we’re just asking people to be responsible.”

The overall rental fee of $350 remains unchanged. Renters will now be required to pay an upfront charge of $600, with their deposit subject to return following an inspection of the premises.

Commissioners say some patrons are taking advantage of the current low deposit to leave messes uncleaned after renting the building, “and then we’ve got to send in a crew ourselves to clean it up and it’s costing us money to do that,” Drew said.

“Usually it’s the inside with them spilling stuff and things of that nature and just not cleaning up,” said county clerk John White. 

Bathrooms have been left untidy after use, and items such as tables and chairs have been reported missing.

The county clerk said the building has been rented “just about every weekend” since June. Renters are made aware of health guidelines encouraging them to limit gatherings to less than 50 people and to maintain social distancing while inside the building, but “whether that’s being followed is up to them,” said Commissioner Ray Prince, who made the motion to increase the deposits.

Patrons who leave the Agri-Center untidy after use will not able allowed to rent the building again in the future, White said.

The new rates will go into effect immediately.