County approves lease, sublease for GCAD at Brothers Library building

Gonzales County will lease office space from the City of Gonzales and the Robert Brothers Jr. Library and turn around and sublet that space to the Gonzales Central Appraisal District for six months beginning Jan. 1.

The property at 301 Saint Joseph St., Suite A, will house GCAD until the County Annex building on Sarah DeWitt Drive can be rehabilitated, County Judge Pat Davis said at the regular Gonzales County Commissioners Court meeting on Monday, Dec. 18.

The county will pay the city $4,000 per month for six months to lease the building and GCAD will in turn pay the county the same. The price was negotiated after meeting with the Library Board.

“They were asking for $7,500 initially,” Davis said. “They’re still in the process of putting a door in that will make it meet ADA requirements and then the appraisal district can move in. I asked for a year, but they just wanted to do it on a six month basis with the option that, after the six months is up, if we were still there and haven't moved (GCAD) back, then it's a possibility that it could go up to $4,500 per month.”

Davis said the city’s Library Board has some control over the library building because “when (Robert) Brothers gave that building to the city … but the library has their own board, so they make decisions on the rent and whatever the case may be.”

“Once they've made the decision, then it goes to the City Council and then the City Council makes the decision on what the board does,” Davis said.

The city has approved the lease to the county and the subletting to GCAD, Davis said.

In other action, commissioners approved reappointing Dr. Commie Hisey and Jacey Trammell to the Gonzales County Emergency Services District No. 1 Board of Directors. The position was advertised in the Gonzales Inquirer as required per county rules and Hisey and Trammell were the only candidates.

Commissioners also appointed Mitchell Hardcastle to serve on the board of directors for the Luling Foundation, which serves Caldwell, Guadalupe and Gonzales counties. The recommendation was made by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Gonzales County Leadership Advisory Board.

Commissioners also approved the purchase of a new 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe for Precinct 1 Constable Johnnie Hall’s office at a cost of $47,458. The vehicle was already included in his budget for fiscal year 2024.