Tax collector proposes buying downtown bank building to ease parking and accessibility; board requests cost analysis

Tax collector Kyle (last name not specified in the transcript) requested direction from the board on pursuing acquisition of the former TD Bank building behind Hardee's as an office that would expand ground-level service, add parking and accommodate future growth.

Kyle said the bank building would provide substantial customer-facing space and, after a preliminary engineering sketch, could add as many as 49 additional parking spaces if permissions (for example, from the Swan River Water Management District) permit paving adjacent grass. He said his office averages about 20-minute customer wait times and that the drive-through lanes and ground-level access in the bank building would improve service and accessibility for residents, including people with mobility limitations.

County staff framed the consideration as a preliminary, nonbinding request for direction and noted two principal funding paths: the county could borrow externally from a bank or internally from county reserves and repay the funds from the tax collector's turnback revenue. Kyle said his office has historically returned year-end unspent revenue (turnbacks) and estimated average turnbacks near $200,000 per year; he indicated he could guarantee repayment of a portion of the borrowing for the first three years but acknowledged revenue is fee-driven and subject to state-level changes in property-tax policy.

Commissioners asked staff to provide a detailed cost analysis, a funding plan (including whether to use internal reserves or external borrowing), and a projection of operating and maintenance costs the county would assume if it acquired the building. No acquisition vote was taken; commissioners directed staff to proceed to due diligence and provide the requested financial breakdown.