Maggi against building purchase

By Christine Haines

chaines@yourmvi.com

Democratic Washington County Commissioner Larry Maggi believes there’s a less expensive solution to the county’s office and building issues than those being proposed by his Republican counterparts.

Republican Commissioners Diana Irey Vaughan and Nick Sherman hosted a media tour of Courthouse Square Wednesday, pointing out structural deficiencies in the garage, which serves as the foundation of the building, and areas where there has been water infiltration. 

Repairs to the garage and improvements to the building were estimated at $14 million, with $10.9 million of that coming from the low bid submitted for garage repairs.

Given that the building has been appraised at $3.9 million, Irey Vaughan and Sherman voted to hire a company to negotiate the purchase of the Crossroads Building located directly across the street from Courthouse Square.

The potential purchase of that structure raises several concerns for Maggi.

“We have a 40-year-old building and yes, it needs some repairs, but I dispute the estimate of $10-14 million,” he said. “Does it need cosmetic repair? It does. But spending millions and millions of tax dollars for a building that is already partially filled with private businesses in the middle of a pandemic, I don’t think that’s the answer.”

To read the rest of this story, please see a copy of Saturday’s Mon Valley Independent, call 724-314-0035 to subscribe or subscribe to our online edition at https://e.monvalleyindependent.com.