Baldwin Legislative Delegation to Lease Office Space in Bay Minette Mayor Bob Wills’ Law Office

BAY MINETTE, Ala. — Baldwin County’s state legislative delegation will rent office space in Bay Minette Mayor Bob Wills’ law office using public money, according to a lease agreement presented to the Baldwin County Commission.

Lease Terms

Under the agreement, the delegation will pay $4,090 a month for a five-year term, or about $245,000. The lease includes two five-year extensions, which would cost about $283,000 and $339,000 respectively, for a potential total of about $867,000. The extensions would require approval.

Delegation Defends Arrangement

Delegation members have said the arrangement is legal. State Sen. Chris Elliott has publicly defended the lease. State Rep. Jeb Ball, who represents Bay Minette, also supported it.

Neither the Alabama Attorney General’s Office nor the Alabama Ethics Commission would answer whether it creates a potential conflict of interest for Wills to serve personally as the delegation’s landlord while also calling on its members as mayor for the city’s legislative needs. The Attorney General’s Office declined comment and deferred to the Ethics Commission, which did not respond.

Commission Debate

Baldwin County Commissioner Billie Jo Underwood questioned why the proposal appeared at the end of the commission’s agenda without giving commissioners time for discussion. She spoke about making the best use of the county’s existing inventory of buildings and objected to the commission paying half of the rent.

“We are more than blessed in the county of Baldwin, and we have a lot of opportunities and spaces that are out there,” Underwood said. “We need to work together because we need each other. I just simply wanted an opportunity to look at what was there.”

Underwood said the commission has plenty of board rooms and office supplies the delegation could use in the meantime.

Approved With Amendment

Commissioners ultimately voted to approve the agreement after amending it to require the legislative delegation to pay the full rent.

“If they’re willing to pay for the whole thing and we don’t have to come out of pocket and we don’t have to amend our budget and our attorney’s OK with this modification [then we should approve it],” Commissioner James Ball said. “It doesn’t cost us anything, we’re not on the hook for anything and we’re technically providing you space at no cost like we would anywhere else.”