History of Bonds
In 2010, the commission issued a $3 million bond on a 15-year term. I have read the bond covenant, and it states the funds were issued “to pay off existing high-interest debt and bring the county jail up to federal specifications”—not to repair the courthouse. The commission committed revenue from the state oil and gas trust fund (which every county receives for capital improvements) to make the bond payments so that local tax revenue would not be used.
Because capital improvement revenue was used to make the bond payments, the funds could only be spent on capital improvement projects. Capital improvement includes land or building improvements and purchases. The commission is audited and must prove every expenditure is legally authorized under capital improvement guidelines.
After fees and expenses were deducted, the county received approximately $2.8 million. Repairs were made to the jail, several county-owned properties (including the Crossville Industrial Park) were paid off, and additional land was purchased for future industrial development—totaling approximately $1.6 million. While some may question the reasoning behind those decisions, none of the commissioners or the probate judge from that time are still in office, so debating it now serves little purpose.
This left approximately $1.2 million available for capital improvements. An engineering firm evaluated the courthouse and developed renovation plans, estimating the cost in 2010 at $3.1 million. The commission then pursued federal grants to complete the project, planning to use bond funds for the required grant match and to cover the cost of relocating offices during renovations.
Despite being led to believe funding would be available, the commission was never able to secure federal grant money. As a result, the building currently occupied by Solid Waste was purchased and renovated using bond funds, with the intention of relocating as many offices there as possible.
In late 2016, we were informed that the only available federal funding was for historic restoration. To qualify, the courthouse would have to be restored to its pre-1955 condition. That would require removing the third floor and restoring the dome. This could only be accomplished if courthouse employees and records were relocated to a temporary facility.
In 2018, when Dale McGee was appointed Probate Judge, he had an engineering firm estimate the cost of partial renovations to the courthouse. The estimate exceeded $3 million to seal the brick, replace windows, replace the roof, and install mini-split systems to remove the old window air units. This estimate did not include interior plumbing, electrical work, or cosmetic improvements.
Extending the bond was considered, but without a temporary location to relocate operations, that idea was quickly dismissed.
That brings us to where we are today. There is still approximately $950,000 remaining from the bond, meaning less than $300,000 has been spent since the initial 2010 expenditures. Total fund balance as of February 27, 2026 with interest was $998,299.54.
In order to restore or fully renovate the courthouse, operations and employees must first be moved to a temporary location. Purchasing a building was the first step toward that goal.
The Butler building was purchased with ARPA funds in the amount of $285,000.00 with additional amount of $49,941.55 for related closing costs, inspections fees, legal fees, and the like, along with other costs reasonable and necessary for the temporary relocation of County personnel to the facility and retrofitting the facility to provide government services to the public-at-large during the repairs, renovations, refurbishments, or rebuild of the County’s historic and/or new courthouse. Total paid from ARPA $334,941.55.