Video: Progress Made in Webster Courthouse Rebuilding Efforts

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WEBSTER COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) — There has been major movement in the effort to rebuild the Webster County Courthouse.

On Monday morning, a county attorney announced an agreement that will go a long way toward paying for the new building.

The Webster County courthouse burned in January 2013. Ever since then, the only thing hotter than the fire has been the debate between the board of supervisors and the company that insured the building.

Supervisors estimated the value of the courthouse at more than $7 million – a figure the insurers disputed, which led to a lawsuit. Now that impasse has ended to a degree.

“They originally just paid a little over $2 million for the loss of the old courthouse,” said Tina Nicholson, special counsel. “Last year, they were paid an additional $600,000, and I’m here today to present an additional payment of over $3 million. So that brings the total to a little over $5.8 million for the loss of the old courthouse.”

Supervisors have already bought land in Walthall near the intersection of Highways 9 and 50 for the new courthouse.

The final cost of that building hasn’t been set, but the belief is the county now has enough money to start work

“I believe that they are ready now to start their new construction, that they have enough money where they feel confident proceeding with that,” Nicholson said.

Monday’s announcement means the county and insurer have reached some middle ground, but talks are still underway to try and get more money put toward the project. However, there is one stumbling block there.

“The policy limit for all of the buildings in Webster County is $6.2 million, so we’ve actually gotten paid almost the entire policy limits,” Nicholson said.

And Nicholson says that policy limit is one of the issues still in litigation in the insurance claim dispute.

She says the county hopes to negotiate something, so there won’t be a trial.