Commission Decides Elections Office Will Stay Put

    After months of back-and-forth discussion and debate, the Lake County Commission on Tuesday moved to settle an ongoing request by Lake County Supervisor of Elections D. Alan Hays for more space. The commission voted to move to purchase the supervisor's current office on US 441 in Tavares, and seek out short-term lease space to address warehouse storage needs of the office.
   Describing ‘the best fiduciary option,’ chairperson Kirby Smith was part of a unanimous vote among members present (Sean Parks was absent) to pursue the plan that will seek to purchase the office and its adjoining banking tenant for an estimated $4 million, and in the coming weeks hopes to settle on warehouse options in the Eustis area.
   Hays had been seeking an estimated $25 million to build a new facility on county property along Lane Park Road south of downtown Tavares. Citing growth in the voter rolls that has brought about the need for larger amounts of equipment and staff for county elections, Hays said the new building option was the best option going forward.
   "The need will only be more intense," he said during a presentation to the commission Tuesday, stating that his plan represented the best value for the county going forward, even though it was among the more expensive overall options.
   However, commissioners balked at the high price, citing current economic conditions in the county.
   “Optics is important,” said Leslie Campione. “It doesn’t seem right to build administrative space. I don’t think it sends the right message.”
   Commissioner Josh Blake cited fiscal concerns also.
   “I’m not going to incur more debt for the county.” Blake said the approved purchase funds could come from ongoing infrastructure surtax funds generated by the county.
   As part of its voting actions, the commission moved to enter lease termination talks over the former Sears building it recently leased, originally to serve as warehouse space for Hays and other county departments. However, rising costs at the site associated with renovations led the county to look at new options, leading to Tuesday’s actions.
   In the coming weeks, the county will evaluate at least two locations for Hays to use for equipment storage for the immediate future. Those sites are the former Crossroads bar on CR 452 and an empty space in a Eustis strip plaza. The selected site would be used for storage until the county formalizes plans to build warehouse space at the Tavares property.