DailyJournalOnline → News → Local → County sets surplus equipment auction

County sets surplus equipment auction

Commissioners look at ways to save money

By RENEE JEAN
Daily Journal Assistant Managing Editor

Thursday, October 15, 2009 10:39 AM CDT

This tractor, a dump truck and a backhoe are among items the county is selling at an auction beginning at 9 a.m. Oct. 24. Buyers should arrive early to register and get a number for the sale, which will be behind the St. Francois County Courthouse Annex at 1 West Liberty in Farmington. - Renee Jean / Daily Journal

Three storage sheds full of office furniture, air conditioners, computer monitors, filing cabinets and assorted other office supplies are going up on the auction block Oct. 24. The County Commission has authorized a surplus equipment sale to get rid of accumulated items no longer needed.

All items are being sold as is by cash or check only. The sale starts at 9 a.m. behind the St. Francois County Courthouse Annex building at 1 West Liberty. It will continue until all items have been auctioned off. Buyers must register and obtain a number for the auction.

Many of the items were retired from the courthouse. When county offices moved into the new annex and the courthouse was renovated, most officeholders did not keep the out-dated furniture, upgrading instead.

In addition to the office supplies, there are some vehicles for sale, including a tractor, dump truck and backhoe. These are also being sold as is.

Auction items will be put out the day before the sale and the public will be able to view them then, Presiding Commissioner Dr. David Cramp said.

The county does not regularly have a surplus sale, Cramp added, but has accumulated enough materials to do so. Getting rid of the storage sheds will also save the county some money in its budget.

In all the county presently has six storage sheds. Three of them have records in them. Commissioners said they are looking at consolidating materials presently in the basement of the County Courthouse and moving those records there.

That would eliminate all six storage sheds from the county's budget.

Cramp said the county is having to look at ways to cut expenses because sales tax revenues are flat. Simultaneously, some expenses, such as health insurance, are going up.

He has asked all office holders to reduce expenditures 3 percent across the board for the next budget year to help close the gap between revenue and expenses. They have also instituted a hiring freeze to reduce the workforce by attrition.

"These are things we have to do if the county is going to be responsive to the economic downturn," Cramp said.

Renee Jean can be reached at 431-2010, ext. 117 or rjean@dailyjournalonline.com.