East Central Reporter

After the Shelby County Board approved a cash-rent lease of the county farm to what was described as the highest bidder, both the county and a private farmer entered into and signed an agreement for the property. However, questions have arisen regarding compliance with legal requirements.

Requests were made for copies of all bids, the signed lease, and a sworn disclosure statement that should accompany such agreements. While copies of the bids and signed lease were provided, no disclosure statement was available.

The Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act requires individuals involved in real estate transactions with government units to sign a disclosure statement under oath. This statement must identify those who stand to benefit from such agreements.

Shelby County did not comply with Section 3.1 of this Act, which mandates written disclosures from any party with more than a 7.5% interest in entities involved in real estate contracts with governmental units. The requirement aims to ensure transparency about parties benefiting from transactions involving public assets.

Section 4.5 of the Act discusses penalties for providing false information in sworn disclosures, while Section 4 outlines consequences for noncompliance or violations.

In response to inquiries about whether steps will be taken to address this issue, Chairman Tad Mayhall stated: “Thank you for the information. I will be looked in to and any necessary action will be taken.”

It remains uncertain how Shelby County plans to resolve this situation.