Guadalupe County chief appraiser previews plan to renovate old school for appraisal district offices

Pete Snadden, chief appraiser for the Guadalupe County Appraisal District, introduced himself to the Seguin City Council and said the district plans to seek council approval on June 3 to acquire and renovate a decommissioned school building for district use.

Why it matters: The appraisal district serves multiple local taxing units and has limited facilities. Snadden said the district's current office, built in 1984 with an addition around 2008, has reached capacity and the district has repurposed every available closet into workstations. He said the school option offers a four-acre campus and space to meet current needs and future growth for the next decade.

Snadden said the district began a year-long planning process and in December selected the old school site as the preferred option after considering additions, new construction and other sites. "This particular option provided us not only to meet the needs of today but also the flexibility for people that are in our position later on, when that growth comes 10, 15 years with a 4 acre campus," Snadden said. He added the district is completing due diligence and will return in June with refined project costs.

He noted the acquisition would require approval of three-fourths of the taxing units the district serves; "three fourths of our taxing units that we serve have to approve it. Otherwise, it's a no go," he said.

Snadden asked council to consider the request at the June meeting and provided an advance introduction so council and the community could be aware of the planned project. Council did not take action at the meeting; Snadden said he would return with final numbers and details for formal consideration.

Ending: Snadden thanked the council and said he looked forward to presenting the proposal formally in June.