Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Property Acquisition topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cumberland supervisors weigh purchase or swap of 1496 Anderson Highway to consolidate county offices
Summary
County staff proposed buying (or swapping for) the former bank at 1496 Anderson Highway to house the registrar and clerks' storage, estimating a $399,000 purchase or a swap-plus-cash arrangement; supervisors requested firm cost estimates before final purchase decisions.
County staff on July 9 presented a plan to acquire the former bank building at 1496 Anderson Highway to consolidate registrar functions, records storage and some public meeting space. The county would either pay the $399,000 asking price or swap two county parcels (1548 Anderson Highway and 1299 Cartersville Road) assessed collectively at about $191,800 and pay roughly $210,000 in cash, staff said. The building, constructed in 1966 and just under 2,800 square feet by county assessment, could also serve as a future communications-tower site if needed.
Staff said the current registrar office is tight, would require roughly $50,000 in security upgrades to meet Department of Elections guidance, and that renovating the extension-office building (the proposed swap property) would likely require $20,000–$45,000 in improvements and some ADA work. The county’s administrator said the swap would be done “as is,” and that the existing registrar building could be marketed to offset costs if the acquisition proceeds.
During the public hearing, resident Betty Myers urged more research and clearer cost estimates before committing public money. Several supervisors pressed staff for contractor bids and a clearer breakdown of short‑term and long‑term costs; one supervisor moved to postpone action until bids and numbers were available while another moved to proceed with the recommendation. County Attorney clarified that the existing letter of intent does not obligate purchase and that a separate purchase agreement would be needed to create a contractual obligation.
The board discussed authorizing the county administrator to execute purchase documents and appropriating funds to complete the purchase if an exchange cannot be arranged. Voice votes were taken and individual supervisors recorded both yes and no votes during the funding authorization discussion; staff emphasized that the appropriation would enable either an outright purchase or continuing negotiations on the exchange. Next steps: board requested more detailed cost estimates and directed staff to return with additional financial detail at the next workshop or a future meeting.
