Treasure County to seek appraisal and plan public sale process for downtown Blundard property

County staff briefed commissioners on a downtown property (referred to in meeting discussion as the Blundard property) the county acquired through an exchange and the steps needed to consider a public sale.

The county treasurer noted the property carries unpaid taxes on the order of roughly $22,000 and that tax allocation, including what portion would go to town and other taxing jurisdictions, must be resolved before any sale proceeds are disbursed. Commissioners agreed that state law requires an appraisal if the expected sale value exceeds $20,000.

Why it matters: selling county real property affects general fund revenue and has ripple effects for other local taxing authorities that would have received tax income from the parcel. An undervalued sale could short-change those jurisdictions or leave unresolved tax liabilities.

What was said: staff reported the tax appraisal value and advised the board to commission an appraisal or a realtor's opinion of value. Commissioners discussed minimum bid strategy and statutory posting and notice requirements for county land sales; options include public live auction or sealed-bid processes with notice posted for at least two weeks.

Next steps: staff will obtain a realtor's opinion of value and, if needed, a certified appraisal; the county will compile a plan for notice, minimums (including unpaid taxes recovery), and a resolution to authorize a sale if appraisals support marketing the parcel or if demolition is a more economical option.

No sale decision or minimum bid was adopted at the meeting.