SMITHFIELD – Johnston County Commissioners have signed an option to purchase a 47 acre tract of land off US Highway 70 Business East. In a unanimous vote, commissioners approved an agreement to purchase the land on Yelverton Grove Road, owned by John Timothy Hughes.
The County has paid Mr. Hughes $5,000 for the option to evaluate the land for potential future use for county facilities. The County has until September 2023 to exercise the option to purchase, at $40,000 per acre, or $1.88 million. The property has a current tax value of $178,650.
County Manager Rick Hester said officials will conduct an analysis on what would be the best fit for the site. In an open meeting, Vice Chairman Patrick Harris suggested the site is being considered for a new Department of Social Services and Administrative Building.
Mr. Hester confirmed some county offices located at the Courthouse could be moved to a new Administrative Building, but nothing has been formalized. The first step in the process would be the acquisition of the property, which is only a short distance away from a new Johnston County Jail and Johnston County Sheriff’s Office being constructed on US 70 East near Yelverton Grove Road.
Not too smart paying that much money per acre. Suggest a more rural area where the land is cheaper and save the county more than a million dollars. Government plainly spends like nobody’s business ever would.
Agree, that is a 9.5% increase over the tax value of just over $3000/acre. There are definitely more options. Redeveloping existing properties would be a more cost effective.
Please tell me what is wrong with the place they already have This is crazy
For one thing, it’s riddled with mold that is strong enough to smell when you walk in the door.
Why not repurpose the old Kmart building on 70 Business? No need to reinvent the wheel, and it would definitely be less wasteful.
I thought this was the plan at one point. It wasn’t that long ago it appeared some workers were cleaning out the old kmart building and it has a fence around it now.
My God!!! $5000 for an option, and another $1.88 million for a property that has a current tax value of $178,650??
What the hell is our county board thinking??!!!!! Total WASTE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS!!!
You people really don’t believe that we have our social justice programs funded by the property tax revaluation being done every four years instead of every eight years? You redneck good ole boys are so easy to steal from!!!
We are laughing all the way to the bank with our free money!!! We have a haul of free millions of dollars that has to be spent because of this revaluation every four years!!! Guess what, Tony
“WRAL” Braswell will be talking about lowering your property taxes and you all are stupid enough to believe him?