District Attorney office moving to Madison temporarily
The Madison County District Attorney’s Office is moving to Madison.
Assistant District Attorney Ashley Allen said the DA’s Office will move to space at 100 Webster Street in Madison next month in what is likely a temporary move until the courthouse is remodeled.
On Monday, the Board of Supervisors approved the three-year lease for the space.
The DA’s office has occupied a temporary space in the mezzanine and law library at the Madison County Courthouse in Canton since their office there flooded 11 months ago, Allen said.
They hope to be moved in and operational by Aug. 1, Allen said. She said they expect to have the same phone number at the new space.
District 5 Supervisor Paul Griffin voted against the lease, saying he didn’t like that the DA’s office was leaving Canton to move to Madison.
“I got an issue with moving out of the county seat to another city when we did offer (the DA) places to be housed out on (Highway) 43,” Griffin said. “We offered him that temporary space and he turned it down.
“I’ve been around awhile,” he continued. “I have seen when department heads move out so-called temporarily, they make it their permanent home.”
Earlier in the year, District Attorney Bubba Bramlett attempted to get the county to purchase a commercial building in Madison, but it was later taken off the market after no action was taken by the board.
“I just don’t see the DA submitting a contract to move out of the county seat in Rankin County,” Griffin said. “Why would he do this?”
Allen told Griffin on Monday that the reason the temporary space offered on Highway 43 was turned down was because of the length of the lease.
She said the Madison location is office-ready and they can begin moving in now.
The lease agreement is for three years and will cost approximately $145,000 a year.
Allen said that was a relatively short length for a commercial lease.
Steen, District 1 Supervisor Sheila Jones and District 4 Supervisor Karl Banks voted to approve the lease. District 2 Supervisor Trey Baxter was absent at Monday’s meeting.