Chickasaw supervisors debate selling LEMC and consolidating offices at Heritage Center

During the May 26 meeting, Chickasaw County supervisors spent an extended period discussing whether to consolidate county operations by selling the LEMC and relocating staff — including the engineer’s office, the county attorney, EMA and public health — into the Heritage Center.

Board members said the engineer’s office is likely to move in July or August, which creates an opportunity to repurpose county spaces. The FY26 budget includes $50,000 in capital projects for Heritage Center demo work and $10,000 for architect services to study options; supervisors cited a prior architect estimate of roughly $90,000 to demo the north wing. Managers described the Heritage Center as having practical advantages (backup generator, three‑phase power, fiber access and ground-level loading) that make it a candidate for centralized county operations.

Supervisors emphasized they want a clear plan before committing funds. Discussion covered where to store furniture and equipment during any move, the possibility of tagging and auctioning surplus furniture, and identifying who will manage the logistics. One supervisor noted that if the LEMC were sold the county would eliminate the LEMC budget (about $30,000–$35,000), and that recent property tax reform creates a 2% cap on the general basic levy that the speaker estimated would generate roughly $96,000 in new GB property tax revenue (board members said that number is a preliminary estimate and budget allocations remain to be determined).

Board members asked staff to develop options, tour the Heritage Center with interested supervisors, and return recommendations about which offices to relocate and how to phase moves so that services and storage needs are addressed. No formal motions were made to sell or dispose of the LEMC at the May 26 meeting; supervisors said they would bring specific plans and timelines back for future action.