Persistence Pays Off as Commissioner Advocates for Annex
One decade ago, Young County Commissioner Jimmy Wiley made his first attempt to address the overcrowded conditions at the Young County Courthouse. While the lack of space to house growing staff and store materials was on his mind, Wiley was also concerned with two specific factors:
- Citizen access to busy offices including the tax assessor-collector was not easily accessible by wheelchair.
- The veterans affairs officer was working from a basement closet.
As Wiley searched for a cost-efficient solution, he learned that a metal building owned and used by The Graham Leader to print local and surrounding newspapers was for sale. Wiley took the possible purchase and repurposing of the building as a courthouse annex before the Commissioners Court; however, several of his fellow officials voiced concerns over the metal structure, and the Commissioners Court voted not to pursue the matter.
Several years later, the building was placed on the market once again. Wiley presented the same idea at Commissioners Court: Gut the metal structure, and build it out as a new annex. Once again, the majority of the court was not onboard. A new annex was discussed; however, the price tag of approximately $2.5 million was too high.
After COVID hit, the building went on the market for a third time. This go-round, the Commissioners Court voted 4-1 to pursue the project, and a plan was put in place to 1) make a land swap for the building; and 2) purchase property adjacent to the building for parking.
When all was said and done, Young County was able to use ARPA money to fund the renovation cost of some $911,000 and the property purchase of about $125,000, meaning zero cost to the local taxpayer, confirmed Young County Judge Win Graham. Those numbers don’t factor in the $350,000 value of the metal building that the county was able to capitalize on, Wiley noted, with the foundation and shell already in place.
Contracts were finalized in November 2023 with Level 5 Architecture of Mansfield, Texas, and Mann Made Construction, based out of Bridgeport, Texas, to finish out the 9,000-square-foot annex, which opened for business in August.
The tax assessor-collector’s office has relocated to the new building, where taxpayers now have access to a drive-thru window to conduct business.
Other occupants include the voter registration office/elections administrator’s office, where the community is now afforded a permanent, secure room for early voting.
Veterans affairs has moved in to a full-fledged office, and visitors have access to a private waiting room.
The annex, within walking distance of the Young County Courthouse, also features a large meeting room.
With offices relocating to the annex, other officials and their growing staffs can now spread into the vacated areas of the main courthouse and have the space to better serve the county, Wiley observed.
While the first two attempts to ease overcrowding were not successful, Wiley is one who looks for the good in the end. After all, the timing allowed for the use of ARPA funds, Wiley acknowledged, making for a double win for the county and its constituents.