County commissioners have an interesting problem.

The county has, at its disposal, the vacant Harris Middle School on Elm Street. In a few years, when a new Bedford County Medical Center is built, the building which now houses BCMC will revert to county control. Once that happens, it's almost a given that tenants will move out of the nearby Medical Arts Building in favor of new digs closer to the new hospital.

That's a lot of excess property. The county needs more office space; it's currently renting space for some county offices and would no doubt like to move those offices into county-owned facilities. But the Harris Middle School building, according to experts, would be difficult and expensive to adapt as an office building. Bedford County Nursing Home, which adjoins the old hospital building, probably can't get a license for any more nursing home beds from the state. But it could possibly adapt some of the hospital space into an assisted living facility.

Meanwhile, the HMS annex has become a bone of contention. The school system wants it for use as an alternative school. But some county commissioners say it should remain with the rest of the HMS property in case the county wants to sell the campus as a unit. Since the annex is located right on Elm Street, it is part of the street frontage for the HMS campus and separating it from the main parcel could have a major impact on the property's value.

Some have said that the Medical Arts Building, which is newer and would be much easier to renovate, would be the county's best bet as potential office space.

There are also four Union Street lots -- two vacant, two with empty buildings -- adjoining the nursing home. What should be done about them?

The county has some major decisions to make over the next few years, and so far most of what commissioners have done is bicker among themselves about who's responsible, who's in charge and who's dragging their feet. The county attorney has been directed to take bids on the HMS campus, and is having the property appraised in preparation for that process, even though the county hasn't decided for sure whether to sell it.

In the meantime, there are safety, cost and liability issues related to the county's ownership of big vacant buildings.

I think that this problem has simply gotten too big to be handled the way it's currently being handled. The county should buckle down and hire a professional firm to conduct a comprehensive study of its current space needs and the potential for using or selling vacant or soon-to-be-vacant properties. I don't know whether this would be a function of an architectural or engineering firm or if there are companies that specialize in this type of project. I suspect that it might be a good idea to hire a large out-of-town firm with little connection to local politics or real estate. I know such a study -- if done right -- would be expensive, perhaps in six figures, and I know that county commissioners sometimes howl over the cost of professional services. But having good information and good recommendations could make millions of dollars worth of difference in the county's future plans, whether it's income from selling existing properties or expense from building a new office complex.

John I. Carney is city editor of the Times-Gazette and covers county government and other topics. His home page is lakeneuron.com.