The Oklahoma State University Extension Office, located in Eufaula for decades, will be moving to Checotah.

Extension Educator Pamela Ward presented the Board of County Commissioners with a lease for property in the Checotah Business Park.

Board Chairman Bobby Ziegler and member Dean Taylor agreed to sign the lease.

Board member Monty Grider, who was for the move until recently, declined to agree to the move.

“I’ve been hearing from my constituents, and they are opposed to it,” he said.

District 2 Commissioner candidate Kevin Drake, who is challenging Grider in the upcoming election, attended the meeting and said he was opposed to the move.

“This is the county seat,” he said. “It should be here. This is the central location to the county.”

Grider has a second opponent in the race Clifford McElaney, who was not at the meeting.

Extension Educator Pamela Ward has been pushing for the move to Checotah.

She claims 82 percent of her clients live in the northern end of the county.

The commissioners are required to pay for office space for the OSU Extension, but they can’t choose where the office will be, according to Ward.

Currently the commissioners pay almost $900 for the office at the Fairgrounds – an amount that includes payment for electricity.

They will pay $900 at the new facility, but the electricity is free.

Ward said the move will take place around July 1.