ATLANTA — Atlanta city leaders and Fulton County officials had a heated discussion over the proposed sale of the Atlanta City Detention Center.

Fulton County Commissioner Khadijah Abdur-Rahman and Atlanta City Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari disagreed during the discussion about the future of the facility.

“It is gravely important that this sale go through,” Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr. told Atlanta’s Public Safety Committee.

The city wants to continue using some space inside the detention center to hold Atlanta detainees, meaning some staff would remain at the facility.

City Councilmember Michael Bond questioned whether selling the detention center and then leasing space back from Fulton County makes financial sense for Atlanta.

“As tax payers in Atlanta, as tax payers in Fulton County, you don’t need to be giving us $68 million,” Bond said.

Earlier this month, Mayor Andre Dickens agreed to sell the detention center to Fulton County for $68 million after weeks of negotiations.

The Atlanta City Council Public Safety Committee recently voted to put the proposed sale on hold.

Fulton County wants to buy the facility as it works to improve conditions at the Fulton County Jail, which has faced overcrowding, understaffing and dangerous conditions.

The county currently leases space at the detention center to house inmates. That lease is set to expire at the end of the year.

The $68 million agreement came after Fulton County previously offered $56.5 million last month. The county later agreed to the higher price.

Dickens said earlier this month that the deal could potentially bring more than $600 million to taxpayers.

According to officials, the $68 million sale still needs to clear both the Public Safety and Finance committees.

Another meeting is planned for next Monday, according to officials.

WSB Radio’s Veronica Waters contributed to this story.