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Commission approves District 4 office lease, grants commissioner permission to seek alternative quarters
Summary
Walton County commissioners approved a lease authorization for District 4’s new commercial office and also granted the District 4 commissioner permission to seek different office space; the motion passed 4-1 amid concerns about recent office renovations and future costs.
The Walton County Board of County Commissioners approved a request to authorize the chair to sign a lease for commercial office space to house the District 4 commissioner’s office and additionally approved a motion to allow the District 4 commissioner to seek alternative office quarters. The board voted 4-1 to pass the combined motion.
County staff described the lease as a transfer of an existing lease within the same landlord’s complex so the commissioner could have a larger office closer to constituents. Commissioner discussion focused on timing and cost: one commissioner said the county had spent about $40,000 on renewing the commissioner’s current office recently and questioned whether committing to another office and potential build-out would saddle the county with duplicate costs if the sitting commissioner chose not to seek re-election.
The District 4 commissioner, who spoke in support, said the new space is only slightly larger and would allow the county to move items directly from the current office into the new one with limited work. Another commissioner expressed concerns about mold and dehumidification in their current office and asked for board permission to seek better quarters for their own office while the District 4 move was authorized; the board agreed that staff could look for alternate spaces.
A motion to approve the lease and give the commissioner permission to find better quarters passed 4-1. The board’s recorded vote count was announced as "Motion passes 4 to 1." County staff said the new lease would be signed by the chair as authorized, and that interior work would be limited to moving existing furnishings to the new space.
The board did not specify exact lease terms or the budget allocation for the move during the public discussion; the leased space will be processed through the county clerk and finance offices in follow-up work.
