The Loudoun Board of Supervisors’ “credibility is on the line” after its move to reconsider transferring the county’s parks and recreation department, according to Supervisor Matt Letourneau (R-Dulles).

Letourneau and several of his colleagues expressed concern Oct. 16 over the board’s professionalism after agreeing to reconsider the move the department out of Leesburg. Less than an hour before the Oct. 16 meeting, the owner of the current space, located at 215 Depot Court in Leesburg, offered a new, counter proposal to keep the parks and rec facility downtown.

The matter stems from an Oct. 2 vote to sign a seven-year lease in Ashburn Commons on Ashbrook Place road, taking the 80-employee department away from 215 Depot Court S.E., just off Harrison Street in Leesburg.

Supervisors Ken Reid (R-Leesburg) and Geary Higgins (R-Catoctin) opposed, while Chairman Scott York (R-At Large) was absent for the vote.

The county had been unsuccessful for several months in negotiating a deal with the owner of the Depot Court space, which led to the board’s decision to move to Ashburn.

“I’m a little concerned now at the eleventh hour we finally get a better offer,” Letourneau said. “I think our credibility is on the line a little bit if we keep going back and forth on all these things ... So, in this one occasion I can support reconsideration, but I hope that now equal opportunity is given to everybody involved in this to get the board the best deal we can.”

Terms of the Ashburn Commons lease originally passed included a first-year price not to exceed $473,697 for the 21,185 square-feet space, or $22.36 per square foot. The relocation was expected to come next summer, with July 1, 2013 the effective date on the motion from Supervisor Shawn Williams (R-Broad Run). Much of the discussion before the Oct. 2 vote took place in closed, executive session.

York, however, initiated the motion Oct. 16 to reconsider the department switch. Seven of York’s colleagues sided with him, with only Shawn Williams (R-Broad Run) opposing.

York said that had he been at the Oct. 2 vote, he would’ve voted with the majority to relocate the department to Ashburn. However, out of respect for Reid, who is pushing to keep the department in downtown Leesburg, York agreed to bring the matter back for reconsideration.

“What I don’t want to do is drag this out,” York said. “ … I think it’s time to fish or cut bait.”

York suggested staff analyze the new proposal at the Depot space and inform the Ashburn location of the counter offer.

Supervisor Ralph Buona (R-Ashburn), who chairs the board’s finance committee, said he didn’t originally want to agree to reconsider, but given the new proposal, staff and the supervisors should examine the new proposal, which appears to be competitive with the deal at Ashburn Commons.

“We’re publicly shopping bidders in my view,” Buona said. “As somebody who does bidding for a living, I get irritated when I start getting publicly shopped …

“We need to run a little bit of process that is fair and equitable to both Depot Court and Ashbrook, and go back to both of them, and ask them privately ... ‘give us your best and final offer,’” Buona noted.

Loudoun supervisors will make a decision on the future parks and recreation site at a November meeting.