COLUMBUS– Polk County Commissioners agreed by a split vote this week to purchase the Polk County school bus garage for $205,000.

The county met Monday, Nov. 7 and approved a budget amendment for the purchase with commissioners Michael Gage, Keith Holbert and Ted Owens approving the motion and commissioners Shane Bradley and Ray Gasperson voting against the purchase.

The county is purchasing the garage to move county transportation vehicles to the garage, away from the transportation department, which is located in the Courthouse annex buildings in downtown Columbus.

Gasperson said the county has a lot going on with a $13.5 million law enforcement center.

“In the end this is more of a want, not a pressing need by all means,” Gasperson said.

Gasperson also said he doesn’t think it is wise to use the garage as a gas filling station for the county.

“Not to say there won’t be a need in the future,” Gasperson said. “This could trigger some unnecessary growth in county government.”

Commissioner Keith Holbert said one of the reasons is to get the county transportation out of the center of town. And as far as the gas, Holbert said, “it’s only a $12,000-$13,000 a year in savings.”

Gasperson said with maintenance costs and set up, he thinks having county vehicles use the garage as a filling station would end up breaking even maybe.

Bradley said he voted against the bus garage purchase for the same reason he voted against rebuilding the courthouse retaining wall, saying that money could be spent elsewhere.

Chair Gage said for him it’s always been about getting the vehicles out of Columbus.

“The vans do consume a lot of area,” said Gage. “My fear is there will always be other priorities if we don’t do something and those vans will always be in Columbus. The citizens of Columbus deserve better.”

Owens said Columbus Town Council would like for the county to get the buses moved, too. He said Holbert mentioned the World Equestrian Games and said the property could become an income for the county as well.

Commissioners have in the past discussed moving the transportation department to the bus garage building, but have not done any estimates on renovations to the building and have not said if and when the actual department could move.

The county is purchasing the bus garage from the Polk County School System after the school board spent $309,500 to purchase the Stott property for the bus garage, located behind Stearns Education Center.

The school bus garage the county is purchasing is located on 4.09 acres on Locust St. in Columbus, and includes a building, a shed and a fenced lot.