Anderson County delays purchase of Commercial Bank building for elections office, schedules workshop

County commissioners on Wednesday declined to approve a contract to purchase the former Commercial Bank of Texas building at 412 East Lacey Street in Palestine and instead directed staff to hold a public workshop on April 7 to study the proposal and alternatives.

The building was offered for a cash price of $350,000 with a $125,000 donation from Commercial Bank of Texas, bringing the county’s net cost to $225,000 under the terms presented at the meeting. Jessica Hawkins and David Walker, representatives of Commercial Bank of Texas, reviewed the building and the bank’s offer during the meeting and answered questions about recent renovations and the bank’s timeline to list the property.

Commissioner Wilbanks, who introduced the idea to the court, described the renovations Hawkins and the bank had made: four new air‑conditioning units installed in 2020, a new roof installed in 2020, new carpet and ceiling tiles installed in 2018, and bathroom upgrades in 2024. Hawkins said the bank had negotiated with county staff and had returned a revised offer after initial negotiations: “It started off at $475,000,” Hawkins said, and later “they said, we’ll take $350,000 and donate $125,000,” referring to the final package the bank presented to the court.

Election Administrator Casey (last name not provided in the record) told the court the building’s features — including a drive‑through window, a conference/community room, a vault and server room, and abundant parking — would address operational needs the elections office currently faces. Casey described how election machines and ballots are now stored in multiple locations, including “two jail cells in Room 103B,” and said a single, secure space across the street would reduce physically demanding moves of equipment and improve storage security and accessibility for voters and judges.

Citizens who spoke during the public comment period generally supported the idea. Dan Bacon, who identified himself as a resident and as affiliated with local Republican organizations, called the offer “good value,” noting the building’s proximity to the annex and its parking and accessibility. Lorraine Bacon, also speaking as a resident, urged the court to consider staff working conditions and called current arrangements for election workers “unacceptable.”

Several commissioners said they liked the location and the donor offer but expressed reservations about the current floor plan, the building’s use, and whether the county could make better use of existing space in the annex. Commissioner Will Banks and others asked for more study of how the annex and other county properties could be reconfigured before buying another building. Commissioner Wilbanks repeated that the offer represented a limited opportunity and pressed for action; other commissioners said they preferred a structured review with a workshop that would include staff and the public.

On a motion to pass on the purchase as presented and to set a workshop date to study the building and alternatives, the court approved the motion and scheduled a public workshop for April 7 to walk through the property and discuss options. The motion was moved by Commissioner Wilbanks; the motion was seconded (second not identified by name in the transcript) and passed on the floor.

Why it matters: The elections office described recurring operational and storage problems — machines stored in jail cells, ballots and signs split among multiple sites, and limited space for training and the ballot board — that the proposed building would address. Commissioners balanced that need against concerns about buying another building before exhausting space‑use options in the county annex and before a full plan for conversion of the bank building is prepared.

Next steps: The court directed staff to set a public workshop on April 7 to inspect the bank building, review floor plans and options for the annex, and solicit public input before any final purchase decision. Jessica Hawkins offered to remain available to answer questions and reiterated that the bank would proceed with listing the property once the sale process moved forward.