After months of discussion, the Buena Vista County Board of Supervisors this (Tues) morning on a 3-2 vote approved moving the auditor/election departments out of the courthouse into the former Colorize building a half block away.
The motion was made by Board President Kelly Snyder and seconded by Supervisor Paul Merten. Snyder, Merten, and Supervisor Dan Hartman voted in favor, while Supervisors Kathy Croker and Rhonda Ringgenberg were opposed.
Snyder said he did not take this decision lightly, but believes this is the easiest move to make to give the auditor more space and for storing and moving voting equipment. Snyder believes this is best for the growth of the county, and said changes can be made later if it doesn’t work. Merten said they should give it a fair shot. Hartman cited cost effectiveness…
Croker wanted to keep the auditor/election departments in the courthouse and expand the lobby area for them to relocate to. Croker cited limited parking as her biggest issue with moving the auditor into the Colorize building, but is also against not having certain offices in the same location. Croker feels money will have to be spent eventually on additional parking around Colorize, and said she would rather spend that money on expanding the courthouse lobby space for the auditor.
The Supervisors first purchased the Colorize building over a year ago for 340-thousand dollars with the idea of relocating the auditor/election departments there. Earlier this year, the Supervisors voted to explore the possibility of selling the building after concerns were raised about not having the auditor/election departments in the courthouse. The Supervisors ultimately decided to keep the building.
