When Miami County voters last fall chose not to support a proposed quarter-cent sales tax to renovate and expand the Miami County Courthouse, Paola attorney Sandy Hartley started thinking about another way to preserve the historic building. The courthouse, which was built in 1898 and designed by renowned architect George Washburn, has special significance to Hartley. Thanks to her senior law school project 50 years ago, the courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Hartley also knows how well an endowment can work in a community that supports it. The courthouse, which was built in 1898 and designed by renowned architect George Washburn, has special significance to Hartley. Thanks to her senior law school project 50 years ago, the courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Hartley also knows how well an endowment can work in a community that supports it. “Your endorsement will mean a lot to our endeavor,” Hartley said. Miami County Administrator Shane Krull asked about the early-year projections for the endowment, and Hartley said it likely would not provide a funding solution for the courthouse within the first few years but instead provide more of a long-term solution. Krull and the commissioners acknowledged the benefits of a long-term endowment, but Krull also said the county will likely need to seek other options in the interim to tackle needed renovations at the courthouse that could cost between $10 and $13 million, according to an architect’s estimate.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com
