County Negates Plans For Building Purchase

Van Zandt County has pulled back from a plan to purchase a downtown Canton building for future office space.

County Judge Rhita Koches said findings from a building inspection and an architectural report showed the building at 205-207 Tyler Street would cost too much to renovate and repair.

The reports were presented in a special commissioners’ court meeting Friday.

"It probably is a good building stripped down to the foundation and four bare walls," Koches said. "But with the HVAC expenses, roof repairs that would be needed and the remodeling, instead of the $100,000 we were looking at, it would probably be double that."

The county is trying to find a suitable place to move the tax assessor/collector’s office and possibly the county commissioners’ office. Koches said it is all in anticipation of establishing a county court-at-law division that is expected to be on the 2010 General Election ballot.

In Tuesday’s special session of the commissioners’ court, approval was given for a month-to-month lease with My Credit Union of Wills Point for office space for the Wills Point Vehicle Registration Office.

The commissioners favored that arrangement over a new one-year lease because the vehicle registration office will be moved into a planned new county building on North Fifth Street, expected to be finished within the next six months.

In other matters, the court took the following action:

— Appointed Dr. J.W. Dailey as Local Health Authority.

— Approved an emergency budget amendment to transfer $1,932 to Precinct 1 Road and Bridge Materials, received from the sale of old equipment in an auction.

— Approved budget amendments for the district clerk’s office and Van Zandt County Jail.

— Approved a request for proposals from Texas Association of Counties (TAC) regarding employee health insurance effective Oct. 1.

— Approved a measure to issue partial reimbursement due to overpayment to retirees on the county’s life insurance program.

— Approved an interlocal agreement with Hunt County for records imaging.