The Commissioners Court were slated to consider bids to finance a land purchase in Precinct 3 at their regular meeting this week.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Wade Bartley explained at a November that Precinct 3 is currently and has been leasing the land for several years for precinct work. It is located with frontage on County Roads 3564 and 3602.
It’s held in an estate, owned by two brothers, one who owns 1 acre of land and one who owns the other 9 acres. Bartley at the November meeting said the brothers live out of state and are ready to liquidate. Thus, he proposed purchasing the land in two contracts, and seeking bids from local banks to make the purchase. The debt would be paid back out of the Precinct 3 budget over the next 7 years, Bartley proposed in November.
Bartley at that time said he could use some of the materials salvaged from the county building recently torn down on Rosemont and Houston Street to build an equipment shed on the property. The Commissioners Court in November gave him the go-ahead to seek bids to purchase the land.
At the Dec. 23 court meeting, Bartley said bids for financing were received from City National and Alliance Banks. However, he was recommending declining both bids in order to pursue a “different avenue of financing that property.”
“We’re going to go through a process where there won’t be a lien on that property. It’ll be free and clear with this new avenue we’re going to do,” Bartley said.
Hopkins County Auditor Shannah Walker said to proceed with a different option, the court would need to decline the two bids submitted in order to “completely go back out” for financing.
The court approved request, declining the two bids.
