The city of Auburn is charging Androscoggin County a fee to register its empty Subaru building and intends to impose property taxes on one of the adjacent buildings the county bought when it purchased the Subaru site for a new sheriff’s office in 2022.

The fee, which is $400, is based on the city’s requirement that vacant buildings be registered. The city informed county officials that not registering the vacant Subaru building at 774 Center St. is a code violation that, if ignored, could result in escalating civil fines.

In addition, Auburn’s assessor has informed county officials that the city intends to levy property taxes on county property next to the former Subaru dealership building that is being rented to John F. Murphy Homes at 800 Center St.

According to county Administrator Jeff Chute, the county leases the property to the nonprofit agency at no cost. The agreement, which is for two years rent free, expires in November.

The fee and the property tax notification are both on county commissioners’ agenda for their meeting Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Androscoggin County Building in Courtroom 2 at 2 Turner St. in Auburn.

The former Subaru dealership building and several other adjacent buildings were bought by the county in 2022 for $4.5 million to house the Androscoggin Countuy Sheriff’s Office and communications center, and other public safety offices.

Efforts have stalled since then because of the high cost of renovations. Commissioners rejected putting two separate bond proposals before voters — one for $29 million and another for $26 million — saying they were too expensive. They also rejected selling the property in May.

At its meeting Wednesday, the commission is expected to review a stripped down renovation plan for the current site at 2 Turner St., which is expected to be closer to $20 million.

It was not known Tuesday how much property tax will be imposed by Auburn on the building the county is renting.

To avoid the vacant building fee, Chute tried to find a permitted use for the property under Auburn’s Vacant and Abandoned Buildings Ordinance. He asked if the building could be registered as storage or a warehouse because county items are stored there, but was told he could not.

The last permitted use of the property was the Evergreen Subaru dealership, which moved to another location in Auburn.

Commissioners have the right to appeal the vacant building notice of violation.