Franklin County officials are considering a general obligation bond to help pay for major repair projects at the county courthouse, including tuckpointing and electrical upgrades.
Board of Supervisors member Chris Vanness says the projects have been under discussion since last year’s budget cycle, but costs increased after a hailstorm last spring forced an unexpected roof replacement.
During the bidding process, supervisors learned previous tuckpointing work in parts of the building used incompatible mortar, creating additional repair needs.
Tuckpointing alone could cost about $1 million, while electrical upgrades are estimated at roughly $300,000, not including engineering expenses.
“We’re dealing with a 135-year-old structure, and it sounds like a lot of money, it is,” says Vanness. I mean, anybody that’s had repairs done lately, I’ve got a truck in the shop now and a tractor and, we all understand everything’s gone up. We can’t build a new one for what it’s going to cost to repair this.”
Vanness says special project funds are already being used to cover the roof replacement, statue repairs and some engineering costs. He says the county is also exploring whether historic preservation grants could help offset a portion of the expense, though any grant funding would likely cover only a small percentage of the total cost.
If supervisors move forward with a bond, the proposal would require public hearings.
The full interview with Supervisor Vanness is below;
