Commissioners start upset-bid process on Ward's Gap parcel, reject low offers for two other surplus lots

The Surry County Board of Commissioners moved forward on surplus-property procedures at its Feb. 17 meeting, voting on three separate offers for county-owned parcels.

Wards Gap Road parcel: The board approved a $5,000 initial offer from an adjoining property owner for a 3.5-acre parcel on Ward’s Gap Road and authorized the start of the upset-bid process contingent on the buyer providing a 5% bid deposit. County staff noted the parcel was placed into surplus in March 2023 and has an estimated tax value of $9,100. Commissioners recorded a motion to begin the upset-bid process and approved it; the clerk recorded the result as carried.

Walt Street (Dobson) parcel: Finance reported an offer of $906 on a parcel with an estimated tax value of $9,060. Commissioners moved not to approve the initial offer and the motion passed; staff will continue surplus-procedure steps consistent with that direction.

Bourbon Trail parcel (Mount Airy): An offer of $1,140 was presented for a lot with an estimated land value of $11,400. A motion to reject the offer as too low was made; the board’s subsequent procedural actions resulted in the motion failing (meeting record: “proposal failed”), so no rejection was adopted during the meeting. No transfer or final sale for that parcel was recorded at the session.

The board did not complete any final sales beyond beginning the upset-bid process for the Ward’s Gap parcel. Commissioners debated the bids’ relationship to assessed values and whether to start upset-bid procedures or reject offers as too low.