Gilmer County commissioners voted to cancel an agreement to buy an office building in East Ellijay.
A unanimous vote was taken following an hour long closed door meeting Aug. 2.
County Attorney David Clark said “suitability” was the reason for ending the deal.
Originally, the board voted June 10 unanimously to purchase the building, parking lot and an additional lot behind at 36 Mulberry Street in East Ellijay.
Gilmer County Chair Charlie Paris was authorized to execute the documents to purchase the property at a cost of $1.25 million.
Last year, as part of the county’s supplemental improvement plan, commissioners proposed building a courthouse annex to provide overflow office space for the various county offices. Instead of building a new structure, the Mulberry Street building was supposed to fulfill this role.
As part of the motion, the board authorized negotiations to begin for another unnamed property.
Other business
At the same meeting commissioners:
﹣ agreed to allow the parking lot to be used for an upcoming spay/neuter clinic Aug. 12. They discussed the possibility of the parking lot being used for a clinic once a month.
﹣ voted to purchase catastrophic inmate medical insurance at a cost of $32,424. The policy covers inmates at the county jail.