Our County Government in Action…
BeachBrowser.com
9-10-99
The Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners held the first public discussion of
the proposed 1999/2000 budget on 7 Sept. This was the first meeting I ever attended, the
drive was long and wet, and the meeting ended exceptionally late, but it was worth all the
effort.
The discussion was heated from both commissioners and the public. There was a
lot of input from the public, with the vast majority of the speakers against bigger
government, greater spending, and lack of responsiveness from elected officials. The two
issues drawing the most attention were the formation of a Leisure Services Department
(LSD), the commitment in the budget for a Conference Center, and high water bills coming
in just behind.
There were scattered complaints about apparently exorbitant expenses such as $179,000
for books and videos, $2,000 upgrades to personal computers at the TDC, and numerous
$30,000 SUVs. Discussion on many of these points was limited because of time
and because these expenditures were not identified in the executive summary which was
handed out at the meeting. This data is in the full budget which is available for a
copying fee at the county clerk’s office.
The nearly $1 million line item to form a new LSD was whittled down even before
public input. Commissioner O’Dell objected to taxpayers in the unincorporated parts
of the county paying for all parks maintenance including several that had been designated
by the courts for the use of all citizens in the county.
In opposition, Commissioners Riggs and Nickolson pointed out that cities in the
county were in an equally unfair position since citizens in unincorporated areas were
using these parks. Nickolson added that deleting this item would hurt our children (one of
many emotional "hot buttons" pushed by both sides during the night).
Commissioner Sansom was strangely silent during this (and all other) discussions.
The issue was further muddled by the lack of data showing which parks were using
present county maintenance resources, but was somewhat resolved by the carrying of
O’Dell’s motion to delete the additional positions proposed and all costs
associated with setting up the new department. Pending additional cost data from the
county staff, a portion of budgeted costs (about 75%) was also to be shifted to
county-wide ad valorem taxes even at the expense of reserves (it was never made clear to
me how reducing the budget was going to cost everybody more overall.) A motion was also
passed to hold another unplanned workshop on 14 Sept. to examine the final data from the
county staff and the impact on the budget and millage rate.
It was unfortunate the discussion between the commissioners occupied at least an
hour at the expense of other issues occupying a greater part of the budget, but the
outcome should have been somewhat satisfying to the taxpayers. In comparison to the
original budget proposal, government was reduced, expenses were cut, and the public was
given another opportunity for input before the final approval of the budget on 20 Sept.
One of the most constructive inputs from the public on this issue was a
suggestion that the BOCC and the staff create a plan for improving our county recreation
facilities to meet expanding population and present this to the voters as they did with
the school construction issue. I would add that there are a great number of volunteers in
this county who would contribute time and experience to formulating such a plan with only
a minimum (if any) need for outside consultants.
The second issue drawing the most attention was the Conference Center. The
commissioners were basically silent on this issue despite the fact that all but one of the
public speakers opposed the issue.
The only significant comment was from Commissioner Harrison who claimed
vehemently that the BOCC had not made a single decision on that issue. However,
Harrison’s claim does not explain the almost $3
million line item in the budget for the hiring of an architect and the
construction of the center.
Commissioner Riggs briefly stated that supporting parks out of bed tax money was
discussed at previous meetings but she did not attempt to show how that discussion
resulted in any reduction in the property tax. Riggs also tried to claim that the LMI study, which was
used to support the vote for the Conference Center, listed prospective users. In fact, the
study listed far fewer users than the study claimed were to be expected, and as one public
speaker stated, these were not commitments, and as another speaker stated, the study is a
sham anyway. Commissioners Sansom and O’Dell were silent on this issue and Chairman
Nickolson said almost nothing. Sansom’s position (or lack of) might be explained by
the news report the morning following this meeting that major contributors to his effort
to unseat Rep. Jerry Melvin include the same special interests who support the Conference
Center.
Tripp Tolbert, Fred Tolbert's son and owners of the Ramada Inn, was the only
public speaker in favor of building the Conference Center, and by his own admission,
represented special interests. He made an emotional statement about the financial
risks taken by his father to build one of the early large hotels on the beach, and then an
even more emotional statement about how the tourist industry lowers the property taxes in
the county, improves our overall quality of life, and creates a better world for our
children. Most of the audience responded negatively and even discourteously to these
comments. The response, in turn, was vehement in claiming he was doing a public
service by hiring over 400 people including the children of those protesting his position
- and their children as well!!
I have great respect for any businessman who is willing to take a great personal
risk to provide a needed service and can do it at a profit. I just don’t believe
public funds should be used for this purpose, and that is exactly how I see the Conference
Center. I don’t know of any local aerospace company that demands the county construct
a facility to help them attract more customers or increase their revenue. On Mr.
Tolbert’s other point, I consider someone claiming to do a public service by creating
400 mostly minimum wage jobs arrogant and hypocritical. Not that a minimum wage job is
unimportant to someone with no other choice, or that such jobs do not have a place in the
economy; but creating or sustaining primarily low paying jobs is not worthy of sainthood
or special public treatment.
In conclusion, I found the meeting a very interesting example of government in
action. But it remains to be seen whether this action was truly democratic. It will depend
on how our commissioners respond to the overwhelming public demand for fair and
responsible taxation and frugal spending of money that is not theirs to spend frivolously
or to ingratiate themselves to special interests. They have to remember it belongs to us -
the taxpayers – and we work hard for every penny of it. We entrust this money to them
to provide services for all the county. If our commissioners are responsive to our demands
we will see significant cuts in the budget presented at the next hearing on 14 Sept and
meaningful public discussion on the proposed Conference Center. If they are not willing to
listen we need new commissioners.
I encourage everyone to attend the next meeting and express their views.
Courtroom A in the Crestview courthouse obviously will not hold all of us, but if you
write or call your commissioner and tell him or her you will be there they might make
better arrangements. If you cannot make it to the meeting you can still write or call to
express your position and you should do so.
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