Administrator says county budgeted for furniture, demolition and contingency for new government center
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Summary
County administrator Monty told commissioners the new government center budget includes allowances for furniture, fixtures and equipment and a contingency; he cited a project budget of $24,000,002.38, $5.2 million in CIP cash, and a Contegrity estimate for demolition/parking. He characterized social-media claims disputing those facts as false.
County Administrator Monty addressed a string of social‑media assertions on Nov. 4 about the government center project’s budget, saying the county had planned for furniture, fixtures and equipment (FFE), had set funds aside for possible demolition of the 1901 courthouse and had a 5% contingency in the construction budget.
Monty pointed the board to project documents from Contegrity and an updated monthly budget showing owner items, including an FFE allowance (listed in the project materials) and internal tech/AV allowances. He repeatedly cited the project’s current total as $24,000,002.38 and said bond proceeds and county cash were deposited with the trustee bank and drawn down monthly to pay Contegrity invoices.
On the demolition question, Monty said Contegrity provided an estimate for demolishing the 1901 courthouse and converting the site to parking of $1,000,002.66 and that the county had $5,200,000 in the CIP fund, including a line (126,382) to cover potential demolition costs and associated work. He said two million dollars of county cash was identified for the project and the remaining funds were bond proceeds; he also noted a 5% contingency built into the construction budget.
On social media claims that the project lacked furniture funding or would require an immediate tax ask, Monty said those statements were false and urged residents to consult publicly available project records. "Virtually everything that's happening with this building is a public record," Monty said in response to board members’ questions.
What’s next: Monty said staff will proceed with an RFQ for FFE and follow the procurement plan presented to the board; staff will also continue outreach with local partners about potential reuse or redevelopment of the old courthouse site.