The City of Mobile responded Monday after the Mobile County Commission went public with complaints about the City not paying rent.
The City used space in Government Plaza, but this summer, the Mobile County Commission decided to raise the rent. According to Mobile director of communications Jason Johnson, the increase was by nearly 90%.
“As the county has acknowledged, the city promptly conveyed its concerns about the steep, sudden rent increase and requested an opportunity to discuss the matter further,” Johnson told 1819 News. “Since the expiration of the previous lease agreement on October 1, 2025, the city has not paid rent to the county, but has consistently intended to continue these discussions so that an agreement can be reached that works for both parties.”
However, Mobile County Commissioner Randall Dueitt said communications to the City have been ignored. He accused the City of not paying rent for three months and said the last payment for September was not made until October 21.
"I really didn't want to do this publicly, but it's come to a point where I guess there's no other way to handle it," Dueitt said. "But the City of Mobile has not paid their rent."
Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis told 1819 News he wished Dueitt hadn’t taken the issue public.
"I would have appreciated a phone call or a meeting request from the Commissioners before these concerns were aired publicly, but I understand their urgency,” Cheriogotis said. “With that in mind, I have instructed our finance department to immediately pay the rent for October and November at the previous rate of $125,000 per month, which will continue until we can come to terms on a new lease agreement. It is imperative that the City of Mobile and the Mobile County Commission work together on this issue that affects both of us and the citizens we serve."
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