By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

The Ellis County Commission voted to reject all bids the county received for both the construction of the EMS/Rural Fire Building and the remolding project at the Administrative Building at a special meeting Thursday afternoon.

The county received two bids to remodel the 718 Main St. building. The lowest base bid was from Commercial Builders for $944,000. County officials had estimated the cost of the remodel to be approximately $700,000.

“I’m having a hard time figuring out what we’re doing to that building to make it that high,” Ellis County Administrator Greg Sund said.

The county received six bids for the EMS/Rural Fire Building with the low bid of more than $3.9 million coming from Paul-Wertenberger Construction. Sund said the cost had been expected to be between $3.5 and $3.6 million.

Sund said the county will go back through the plans and find places to cut expenses. The project is already about two months behind, and Sund said this will put it behind at least another three months.