Treasure County votes to list disputed county land for sale, retains mineral rights and selects Ranch Mart as listing agent

Treasure County commissioners voted Feb. 3 to move forward with listing a large parcel of county-owned land for sale, retaining the county's mineral rights and royalty interest, and selecting Ranch Mart as the listing broker.

Treasure County Attorney Hannah Schantz opened a statutorily required public hearing on the sale, explaining the process and legal steps the county must follow, including obtaining a title commitment and appraisal and providing public notice. "For those who are realtors or brokers here in the room, all the information that you submitted ahead of time has been provided to the commissioners," Schantz said, and she asked the board whether it wanted to proceed.

The hearing drew public opposition. "I would request the county not sell this property," said Gary VanHale, who urged the board to retain the land and continue leasing it. VanHale said leasing produced higher annual receipts than the property's tax revenue and raised longstanding concerns about legal access and an historic county-road designation. "You should be up to $25,000," VanHale said when contrasting potential lease revenue with the county's tax take.

Commissioners debated the trade-offs, with proponents noting the county could invest sale proceeds and use investment earnings to support county services. One commissioner moved that the board proceed with the sale; the motion passed on a voice vote. The board then voted to retain mineral rights and royalty interests in any sale.

Five real-estate firms that had submitted proposals introduced themselves, describing marketing plans, commission approaches and experience selling farm and ranch properties. Jim Espie of Ranch Mart said his firm advertises nationally and noted that access and title issues can materially affect market value: "When you don't have access, you can expect a large reduction in value," he said. Realtors and commissioners agreed additional research on access/easement questions and appraisal scenarios (with and without access) is necessary before finalizing listing price.

The board voted to authorize a listing broker and selected Ranch Mart after motion and second; members also voted to permit online advertising of the property, subject to statutory posting requirements. Schantz told the board that when an offer arrives the county must post notice and convene a public meeting with at least 48 hours' published notice before accepting an offer. Commissioners said they expect to advertise the listing for at least two weeks to ensure public awareness.

What the board approved: (1) proceed with listing the property for sale; (2) retain mineral rights and royalty interest; (3) hire Ranch Mart as the listing agent (selected by motion and vote); (4) permit online advertising and public posting with at least two weeks of notice; (5) require a public meeting with at least 48 hours' notice before accepting offers.

Next steps identified by the board include finalizing the listing agreement (to be reviewed by county counsel), completing any outstanding title and access research, and scheduling required public postings once the listing is prepared. The board also instructed staff and the selected broker to coordinate a timeline for public advertisement and to notify commissioners when offers arrive so a public meeting can be scheduled.

Meeting context: The sale follows an appraisal that produced a range depending on access; commissioners noted that the presence or absence of recorded easements and mineral-rights retention will significantly affect final market value and marketing strategy.