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County Approves Tax Collector Move From Cantonment To Molino
February 19, 2011
Escambia County has official approved $113,135 to design a new building at the old Molino School to house offices for the county tax collector and tax appraiser.
Tax Collector Janet Holley’s lease ends in October 2012 at her current location in the old Winn Dixie shopping Center in Cantonment. Her office will move about 10 miles north to the new 7,000 square foot green building in Molino, along with the tax appraiser’s office that will be relocated from Farm Bureau building on Highway 97 in Molino.
The $113,135 to DAG architects will be in addition to the $214,580 contract with the company to design renovations to the old Molino School main building, which was constructed in 1938. The project is anticipated to be ready for bids by the end of April. Construction should start about August, with completion by the end of 2012.
The old Molino School project’s original plans called for a library, complete with the usual shelves of books, children’s areas and computer terminals. But without funding to operate its daily operations and employee salaries, library plans have been shelved for now as the county looks for more funding. Commissioner Kevin White plans to ask his fellow commissioners for $630,000 in April — $480,000 for building expenses and $150,000 for furniture, fixtures and equipment — to make the library portion of the building a reality.
Comments
30 Responses to “County Approves Tax Collector Move From Cantonment To Molino”
On a slightly different note,who paid for the billboard near Cantonment that has Chris Jones picture on it. His face is about 12 feet high. If it was paid for out of his pocket, that’s one thing, but if the county is picking up the tab, thats another.
We don’t need to be paying for campaign signs, which is in reality what that is.
william,
Well excuse me! But even so the Court House in Century is still functionable. Why waste money on re-designing a building to fit the County Tax Office needs when the old Tax Office is still there and was renovated just for that purpose. Also the CenturyCourt House is right on Hwy 29 not back of on old Palafox. I just think we waste so much money in this county it is time we put a stop to it.
>>>The Molino School property is owned by the Escambia Count School District NOT Escambia County, FL
No, it is not. The property was purchased by Escambia County from the school district. We’ve ran numerous stories about it.
■Name (required) on February 21st, 2011 3:34 pm
Don’t you understand that the Molino School property will have to be leased also! The Molino School property is owned by the Escambia Count School District NOT Escambia County, FL. These are two different systems. Why is using one of the 3 buildings own by Escambia, FL in the the Town of Century so wrong? Is it because you don’t want to go to Century.
Once Again Just Thinking With Common Sense
@ name
What she is talking about is the tax offices new building that is being
proposed on the same land as the molino school that was slotted
to be the library and THAT is the building that was to be re-designed,
and virtually re-built.
The tax officer is going to be a totally NEW STRUCTURE.
I doubt anyone will read this, but READ THE STORY.
Last post said;
“…As I understand it, we are actually building a NEW building…”
From the story:
“…contract with the company to design renovations to the old Molino School main building…”
As I understand it, we are actually building a NEW building for the county offices. Why are we doing this after renovating the Molino School and NOT using it for the original purpose. This is a total waste of OUR money. Do the commissioners really think they are not accountable for how they spend OUR money. We really need a library up here but our children and adults are not important enough to go through with the original plan. A good motto for the county “THINK AHEAD”.
The government wasted our S>S> money.
Now look at them squander all this money on a library promised that
can’t be delievered as promised.
I hate big spenders with other peoples money and crying poor and
cutting the money of the working class. Especially our boys in blue
who risk their lifes (the good ones) The teachers (the good ones)
and the C.O. officers who have to put up with being spit on and
tussel with every dirt bag the courts throw at them.
COME ON DID our illustrious commissioner take a pay cut if not
he can TAKE A HIKE.
“taxpayer” and others…
… Don’t you understand that the current location is LEASED. The proposed location is OWNED. Moving means that once the improvement is complete they no longer have to pay the LEASE.
… moving it to Century is not even being discussed here… makes no sense from a utilization standpoint.
If they won’t listen at the office, try picketing their homes.
If you upset their families watch how much they pay attention.
Keep it peaceful with a lot of respect for children. Never after 8:30 when
all good kids need to be in bed for a good nights sleep before school.
Their messing with YOUR jobs and YOUR money what are you waiting for?
It makes a lot of sense.
Ever watch a magician.
Ummmm watch this hand folks.
While the other hand picks your pocket.
Oh thats right, thats a con artist….
Ummmm I mean makes the bird appear.
Tax Collectors office is already set up and operational! Why would any expenditures be approved when the county is in reported budget crisis? At least that’s what we are all advised of. Pay cuts, no merit increases, job losses. Doesn’t make sense!!
Why spend more money renovating when we have the Century building sitting there doing nothing. Even if they opened two days/week this would be great for the north end of the county. We’ve always gotten the shaft though. We have a building at Walnut Hill that was originally supposed to house some county health offices but then the Sheriff’ is supposed to be using for a sub-station. I never see anyone there, no cars, no deputies or anyone. Why waste all the taxpayers money and use these existing buildings. A waste of money was evident when they built all those huge court buildings below SOUTH PALAFOX when they should have been built off nine mile road on property that the old airfield was located and sold to developers which has homes now. That was the place for ALL THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS,not IN THAT TERRIBLE PLACE DOWNTOWN TO GET TO FOR COURTHOUSES WHERE YOU CANNOT EVEN FIND FREE PARKING.. Here again, no one thought about the County office/buildings needed to go north to serve ALL THE PEOPLE not just the southern end. Here again, those of us in the north end should be annexed into Alabama; then we would have lower property taxes, insurance, etc. We can’t get anyone elected from up here that will be our voice because the voting area goes all the way across nine mile road and they don’t know we exist up here but insurance and taxes are the same as the beach. Wake up County Officials and fill the buildings up north before spending a lot of money renovating.
I told you to WATCH YOUR money.
THEY are ALL reckless with it. Thats the trouble with giving someone else YOUR money. DOES THAT EVER WORK?
IF you GIVE YOUR MONEY to SOME ONE ELSE….your always have to watch
them like a hawk.
The county is all about wasting money and not paying their employees. It’s just like the new building that was built off of Fairfield, that was a complete joke and so unnecessary. I am so glad that I am now a retiree and no longer working with the county and not having to basically work for nothing and not getting yearly raises. Geez, at least the office will now be closer to where I live but now hwy 95 A is going to be a cluster
Wow, there are some strange ideas in these posts….
…. If you own an empty building, it makes sense to pay some money to make it
usable… that is what they are doing.
The move north is ONLY 7 miles… can’t really wine about that… if it is too far north
for you GO SOUTH, if you are farther north, you still can’t whine…. You have 7 miles less to drive.
So… using assets we own, making the location more central… stop paying the lease on the current location…. sounds like a no-brainier to me.
I am so disapponted with this plan. Why mix business with recreation? Children and seniors will be in and out of the community center and all the while, fighting the daily barrage of vehicles to the tax office! This is bad judgement in my view and makes me think that County Commissioners don’t think their northern neighbors deserve separate facilities in separate locations.
As I suggested the Century Court is Escambia County property, why not use something we already own? Molino Elementary would have to be rented from the Escambia County School District, why waste the money? Also the old Molino School building would have to to be renovated, another waste of county funds. If the Century court house doesn’t suit, why not the Century Health Department Building, or the old Century Hospital building. Atleast we own those buildings and if they had to be renovated we’d still own them.
Once again thinking with common sense
This is such a stupid act. Why not just put it back in Century? I guess that would be like saying you made a mistake. Yes, you’ve made one, why make another one?
to malle: no, they are not keeping the current location open, so i doubt there will be any ‘new’ jobs…their current employees will probably be moving with them. =/
i don’t feel that the move is necessary…dumping that much money on a new location…unless it’s saving tons of money by moving, they should stay put!
Dud! at least Molino is half way. Stop the whinning. More jobs.
not sure I understand why new buildings are erected when there is so much real estate out there that people are trying to sell. Make a deal, use something already ownded by the county, or find another solution. Goodness it is not something a rocket scientist needs to be involved in use some simple down home common sense.
Sounds like this is turning into a money pit.
William,
Might be helpful to include the current lease cost in the story, that might help explain why the decision is being made to move the office north.
Moving the office to Molino is a reasonable idea if the lease cost saved is greater then the cost to modify the existing building…. that is already paid for.
Wow, what a waste of Escambia County funds! Why renovate the old Molino School building when there is already space available for the Tax Collector. I’m speaking of the space they moved out of at the Century Court House. Why are we renovating or even renting? We already own the building and it was renovated several years back for the Tax Collector. What is Century not good enough for the Tax Collector? If Century has to go to Pensacola to take care of business, what is wrong with people coming Century to do the same? When the money isn’t available you use what you have! Escambia County has the building, use it!
Speaking cut backs, why do we have to have Janet Holley, David Morgan or Chris Jones’ name on every sign for every building that houses their offices? State what is operating in the building, example Tax Collector, Sheriff, Tax Appraiser. If we did this we wouldn’t waste money redoing signs after every election. Sure it is a small cut back, but we have to start somewhere!
As for signs, why do we need to fill the road ways with signs telling us our Homestead exemption needs to be taken care of? Send out a letter, maybe a post card. Send it out twice and if the Tax payer doesn’t take care of their obligations then they are flat out of luck. Stop wasting money!
Thinking with common sense!
put our offices back in century. the county owns the buildings.
Would rather have seen a library there,but at least I wont have to go as far to be robbed .
So now we get to pay $330,000.00 for Just the architects’. Kevin White has lost his mind. or…..I have. I’m also curious to know, what does(has) the county been paying for the current location? Anyone know?
Looks like the county has plenty of money to burn. How about leaving the office at its current location and lower our taxes instead?