Debate on sale of school site in Geneva coming to county board

The old Sixth Street school in Geneva should provide Kane County government a cost savings - regardless of whether the county sells it or extends its lease.

The county board's administrative committee informally agreed not to sell the school on Thursday. Instead, the county would lease the building to the Kane County Regional Office of Education, which is the current tenant, for the next four years. In trade, the Regional Office of Education would assume all costs for utilities and maintenance, saving the county at least $100,000.

Staffers expressed a desire to stay in the old school as long as possible.

But competing interests are at play. Committee Chairman Jim Mitchell said he expects a contentious debate on the proposal when it hits the full county board. Fueling that is the county's budget problems this year, which will almost certainly be worse next year. Some county board members may want to sell the building now and use the funds to help make up for declining tax revenues. However, committee members said such a sale at this point would only result in the county getting less money than it should for the property because of the down economy.

The county already has a willing buyer for the site. The Geneva Public Library has the right of first refusal on the land, but doesn't have the cash to do anything with it unless it gets voters to approve a tax increase, which history says would be a tough sell.

If the county board sells the building now, it is legally required to find new space for the office of education. The old forest preserve district office at the county campus is one, albeit smaller, option.

However, Mitchell said he wouldn't mind selling that building, too.

Another option is moving into one of the two county health department offices, but the old office on Aurora's busy Highland Avenue is arguably the property the county could reap the most profit from in a sale.

The committee will take a formal vote on the lease plan next month or at a special meeting before then. The issue will then go the county board's executive committee for further debate.