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Feedback: Lawmakers To Vote In April On Lewis County Office Complex

Story Published: Feb 17, 2012 at 2:15 PM EDT

Story Updated: Feb 17, 2012 at 2:26 PM EDT

Right now, Lewis County leases office space for a number of its departments.

The Department of Motor Vehicles is in an old bank on State Route 12.

Mental Health Services is in the Lowville Commons.

St. Peter's School is home to the Highway Department, Board of Elections and the Office for the Aging.

All the county departments could soon move into new, three-story building next to the Public Safety Building complex.

"We're pretty near ready to go out to bid if in fact we're going to take the next step," said Jack Bush, county Legislature chair.

The project has been in the works for a few years, but no decision has been made.

"Our engineering firm - they need an answer whether we're going to go forward or not. And I just think there's no good reason for us to sit there and do nothing," said Bush.

Some lawmakers say the county has to do something soon.

Both the building that houses the DMV and St. Peter's School are for sale, making the county's use of them in the future uncertain.}

"We have no where to go. So the benefit would be security down the road," said Republican District 8 Legislator Rick Lucas.

Not to mention not having to pay rent anymore.

The $300,000 to $400,000 the county shells out in rent every year would instead go toward paying off what the county will have to borrow to build the new building - $10 to $13 million.

"No one wants to spend any money that we don't need to spend. That's why we need to make sure this is the right thing to do," said Lucas.

County lawmakers met Friday morning to get the facts to finally be able to make that decision.

They're expected to vote on the project in April.

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