ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — 9 Investigates has learned there's a deal on the table that could save Orange County taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Orange County Tax Collector and Property Appraiser could stay in the high-rise SunTrust building in downtown Orlando rent free for a few months, or use money from the landlord for renovations, in the building. The county plans to move offices out of the building at the end of its lease.
The county pays $1.2 million to lease space in the SunTrust building. And now, offices occupied by the Orange County tax collector and property appraiser offices could get makeovers at a cost of $335,000 for the property appraiser's office and $256,000 for the tax collector's office.
PDF: Tenant improvement letter
“I don't even know what kind of mold problems may be under this carpet, in the walls,” Tax Collector Scott Randolph said, showing Channel 9's Daralene Jones his office on the 16th floor.
Randolph showed Jones pictures from recent spring floods that he said damaged some of the carpet.
New carpet for both county offices is just one of the improvements proposed on a list that 9 Investigates obtained. New paint and reconstruction of walls are also included.
Scott said he hoped to condense office space, bringing more employees to the 16th floor, returning some square footage to the landlord and in turn he hoped to reduce costs.
“If we can't do that, then I'm not overly zealous to pursue them,” Randolph says.
In a memo, a county administrator said the landlord offered $739,000 for "paint, carpet and some minor office modifications."
Unused funds would be applied to the rent.
The administrator appears concerned about the significant expenditure of funds for renovations that are proposed.
Orange County Commissioner Pete Clarke said he is baffled, considering the plan to move both offices in in a few years.
“Just straight up, you kind of question that. It's a place we're going to be vacating 4 ½ years from now, so to go in and do $500,000 worth of renovations, in lieu of having that available to use for rent -- it doesn't make sense to me right now,” Clarke told Jones
Property Appraiser Rick Singh deferred Jones' questions to county administration.
Last month, during an interview Channel 9, he seemed to pressure the Orange County mayor for an update on moving out of the building when the lease is up.
The Commission will discuss the renovations, next Tuesday.
WFTV
