Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Real Estate Disposition topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners discuss sale of small county parcel at former Liberty voting box; debate use of proceeds and next steps
Summary
The court discussed a request from a resident to purchase a portion of a 2.124‑acre county parcel that formerly housed a voting box; commissioners asked staff to research legal steps for sale and to consider earmarking proceeds for future property purchases, and agreed to table the matter for further study.
Freestone County commissioners discussed a proposal from a resident who requested to purchase a portion of a 2.124‑acre parcel the county owns at the site of a former Liberty voting box.
County staff described the parcel and said the county uses a portion of it for road maintenance and storage; the resident’s survey shows that parts of his mobile home and septic currently encroach on county land and he asked to buy a portion to avoid removing structures and to build on higher ground. Commissioners asked whether sale proceeds should be earmarked for a particular fund or set aside to purchase replacement property in the future. One commissioner said proceeds should be placed in a fund to purchase replacement property.
The court discussed pricing, with commissioners and staff offering rough market estimates (quoted ranges such as $10,000–$17,000 per acre in the exchange); staff noted the parcel contains wooded buffer and a small building and that the county no longer uses the former voting box. Commissioners asked legal and procedural questions about selling county property (whether real‑estate sale procedures, bids or other processes would be required). The court discussed dividing the parcel to provide the resident what he needs while retaining county buffer.
No final sale or price was approved in the excerpt. A commissioner proposed tabling the item for further study and to gather additional information, and the court agreed to table it.
Why it matters: selling county land can provide funds for county needs but typically requires formal procedures and clear decisions on how proceeds will be used; the parcel contains county access/storage uses and the decision affects local residents seeking to regularize encroachments.
Next steps: staff to research sale procedures and pricing and return with formal recommendations; item tabled for additional information and possible placement on a future agenda.
