County administrative offices next week will move into their new office building.
The Board of Supervisors Thursday approved a request from Tax Assessor/Collector Greg Andrews to advertise his office will “be closed for business transactions” July 23 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., so the office can be moved into the former First Federal Bank building, located at 12th Street and Main Street.
Tax assessor and collector office staff will be available at the existing office — located in the Lowndes County Courthouse — and the new office, located on the lower level of the new building, to answer questions while the office is closed for transactions, Andrews said.
The supervisors earlier voted to purchase the building with $950,000 of interest money from the sale of the hospital to Baptist for $30 million; other county administrative offices will move into the renovated building the same week.
The supervisors Thursday also voted to spend about $8,700 for new furniture — including chairs for the lobby of the tax office and the second-floor lobby, as well as break room tables for both floors — from My Office Products.
In a separate matter, the supervisors discussed renovating the Lowndes County Courthouse.
Earlier, the supervisors hired JBHM Architects on a project to renovate the courthouse for more space for the chancery and circuit clerk offices, a new circuit court judge and the district attorney”s office.
Initial project plans included demolition of the courthouse annex building currently occupied by the district attorney and supervisors” offices, among others, to allow for additional courthouse parking.
Noting a too-small, overcrowded boardroom the supervisors currently use in the courthouse, District 4 Supervisor Jeff Smith asked the supervisors to consider what they want included in the renovation project.
“I think this is an opportunity for this board to set the stage for this courthouse, in terms of where it”s going to be moving the next 15 to 20 years,” he said.
District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks suggested renovating the area soon to be vacated by the Tax Assessors Office into a “21st Century meeting room.”
“As the policy makers, we should not expect any less than the (Columbus-Lowndes Development) Link would or higher officials,” he said, calling for an upgraded boardroom, similar a boardroom in the Link offices. “It”s not that we”re better; it”s just that we”re the policy makers.”
“The chancery clerk, circuit clerk and judges use the courthouse the most,” said Board President and District 1 Supervisor Harry Sanders, agreeing the boardroom “needs to be enlarged,” but noting the supervisors usually only meet in the courthouse two or three times a month. “We need to prioritize who we”re remodeling the courthouse for: The people using it every day or the people using it three times a month? Our primary purpose is to take care of the people who domicile here. We”re really secondary.”
County Administrator Ralph Billingsley noted JBHM architect Joey Henderson is meeting with officials regarding the renovations and only “general concepts” have been developed on the project.
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