McClain County will soon be getting some 8,000 sq. ft. of new office space ticketed to free up space in the existing county courthouse to accommodate the needs of continued growth in Oklahoma’s third-fastest growing county.

In their weekly meeting Monday morning at the courthouse, county commissioners Wilson Lyles, Glen Murry and Terry Daniel voted to sell $4 million in bonds to construct new office space for the election board and various other offices of the county, including the likes of detectives for the sheriff’s office and others as needed.

That’s the word from Lyles after the meeting.

Funds to retire the bonds will come from the county’s monthly use tax revenues.

“It’s not the sales tax but the use tax,” Lyles told The Purcell Register. “The sales taxes are already earmarked.”

The new offices, to be located across the street from 22157 SH 74 on west Grant Avenue, will include a training area for the election board to train volunteers to assist with upcoming elections.

“The new office space will open up additional space at the courthouse for the addition of a third courtroom,” Lyles said. “Our judges tell us this is needed due to the growth of the county population.

“They are seeing more and more civil cases and other judicial business,” the commissioner noted. “The judges are excited. Karen (McClain County Election Board Secretary) is excited,” Lyles continued.

“With the additional office space available, the sheriff could possibly be interested in some for his detectives. We are crowded now and the growth is not going to stop,” Lyles said. “Going forward we must prepare for the future of our county and its citizenry.”

Lyles said the selection of an architecture firm and project manager is in the very near future.