The political spats over where to hold early voting in Summit County should be over.
County Council on Monday approved buying property on Grant Street in Akron next to the Board of Elections.
The county has agreed to pay $510,000 for the land at 492 and 500 Grant St., now home to the Rubber City McDonald’s franchise headquarters.
“It makes perfect sense to buy this property,” Councilman John Schmidt said.
Local elections officials have fought for years over where to hold early voting. The current board property isn’t large enough to handle the influx of voters and doesn’t have enough parking.
But buying the property next door to the board solves that problem.
It’s unclear where the McDonald’s franchise headquarters will be next.
“I wish I knew,” owner John Blickle said with a laugh before the vote.
The company is still debating locations, but will most likely be in downtown Akron, he said.
The McDonald’s had been at the site for seven or eight years.
The county now will renovate the 6,000-square-foot building and hold early voting there this year. The county has set aside $1 million in its annual capital improvement budget for the purchase and renovation.
The appraised value of the property is $472,500, according to the county fiscal office.
The value had been set at $392,400 in 2013. But the Akron school board appealed the amount and eventually the state Board of Tax Appeals placed the property at its current value.
Jason Dodson, chief of staff for County Executive Russ Pry, said the deal “is reasonable and fair to the county.”
In other business, the council agreed to give nonbargaining employees a 2.25 percent raise, effective April 1.
The raise mirrors one given to union workers.
The increase, which will cost the county $857,228 this year, will affect 616 employees.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com.