DALTON, Ga. — Whitfield County officials got the price of an acre of land near the Carbondale Business Park down to $85,000 from the $100,000 the owner originally asked for. But that was still too much for two members of the Board of Commissioners.

Nevertheless, board members voted 3-2 Monday night to buy the property from Ray Duncan. Chairman Lynn Laughter and commissioners Harold Brooker and Roger Crossen voted to approve a motion to buy the property. Commissioners Greg Jones and Barry Robbins voted against the motion.

The property sits behind a closed gas station near the I-75 interchange on Carbondale Road and near a planned entrance to the Carbondale Business Park. A large unused metal building stands on the property. Officials have said the property would be one of the first things people see as they get off I-75 to enter the park and fear that it would impact efforts to attract tenants.

“We need this to complete the park. I think it will help us entice people to the park,” said Brooker. “We may also be able to use that building. There are people who’d like to see a gym down on the south end of the county, and we might be able to use it for that.”

Crossen said the owner had once had a thriving business on the site until it was bought by the Georgia Department of Transportation two years ago.

“At that time, the property was on our books (tax digest) for $250,000,” he said.

Crossen said the state ultimately did not use the property and allowed the owner to keep it along with the purchase price.

“But he was basically run out of that business,” he said.

But Jones said he didn’t think any use the county might make of the property justified the price.

“I just don’t think this is the right thing to do at this time,” he said.

Commissioners also voted along the same 3-2 line to approve a two-year lease by the Public Defender’s Office of the building that formerly housed Ed Staten CPA on Waugh Street across from Dalton City Hall. The Public Defender’s Office will pay for any needed upgrades to the building out of its budget while the county will pay the $3,000 a month lease.

The Public Defender’s Office is currently located in county Administrative Building 2 on King Street. In a work session in March, commissioners heard from Public Defender Natalie Glaser about that building. Glaser noted that the building is not Americans with Disabilities Act compliant, which means that when attorneys or investigators meet with someone who is handicapped, they have to come down from their offices to a meeting room on the first floor. She said the bathrooms are often clogged and staff have to cross the street to the courthouse. She noted that the building doesn’t have sprinklers and also does not have the sort of security features the courthouse has.

The building dates back to the 1940s and was originally a church. It was purchased by the county more than a decade ago to temporarily house courtrooms and offices during the expansion of the courthouse. In January, commissioners agreed they need to start making long-range plans to replace the building. They said Monday they will start looking for short-term solutions to the issues raised by Glaser.

“This will get us through the next two years and give us time to come up with a long-range plan,” Crossen said. “We have to give them equal treatment with the District Attorney’s Office, and we haven’t been doing that.”

But Robbins noted the county hasn’t budgeted for leasing the new building.

Board members also voted 4-0 to give County Administrator Mark Gibson a contract through the end of 2018. Gibson has been working without a contract. His salary will remain unchanged at $110,000 a year. Laughter typically votes only to break ties.

Commissioners also voted 3-1 to deny the purchase of a new SUV for $46,000 by the sheriff’s office. Crossen cast the dissenting vote. Commissioners said they wanted more information on the possible purchase.