For more than 90 minutes Monday, a no-nonsense bonding attorney presented Cherokee County Council with financing options for its proposed county administration complex.

The county is expected to have enough borrowing capacity to begin issuing bonds in the spring of 2012 for a $10.1 million to $11.8 million project to build a new county administration complex, attorney Margaret Pope said.

Most importantly, the option would not require the county to increase its millage rate, she added.

That’s because the county’s debt service millage rate of 5.1 mills to construct the law enforcement center will come off the books in May 2011. The county is presently collecting 3.3 mills a year in a capital building project account.

By adding those two millage rates, the county could retire a $10.2 million debt at an interest rate of 3.5 percent in 10 years. Alternatively, it would take the county 12 years to extinguish an $11.8 million debt.

“You are in an enviable position,” Pope told council members.

However, councilman Quay Little questioned the wisdom of using the capital building project account for debt service.

Little said once the county designates the building fund for the county administration building debt service, it can’t be used for future suitable building projects.

Pope then suggested a compromise to finance the project with the $4 million-plus generated by the capital building project account and the county’s current debt service millage rate.

The county plans to build the proposed administration complex on the Milliken Old Mill site on Railroad Avenue.

The county is expected to select an architect for the project at its Sept. 7 meeting.