| NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE ISSUE?
-
Gaylan's Corner! - Opinions, comments and Notes from the
field - by Gaylan King
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BED TAX/CONFERENCE CENTER HISTORY OF EVENTS
- The Freedom Committee's goal is to repeal county ordinance 89-23 that has spawned the
Tourist Development Counsel (TDC) and bed tax (increase), and is also designed to fund the
proposed conference center. The TDC was created with this ordinance and therefore,
by law, will be disbanded with OR 89-23's repeal. In order to do this, a referendum must
come to a vote before the people.
There are four major areas on this website that are designed to do four
things:
1. Present the
FACTS supporting our case that
the Conference Center will be a financial burden to the taxpayers of Okaloosa County.
2. Provide a
HISTORY of the entire Bed Tax
increase/Conference Center and give an historical scope to the issue.
3. To present
OUR POINT OF
VIEW as an opponent of the Bed Tax Increase/Conference Center and it's
supporters.
4. To provide a
FORUM
in which others can share their point of view. |
TDC Goes Against Own Board Of Directors
By Gaylan King - Friday, Jul 23 1999
WFTW talk show host Chuck Kelly, a member of the Tourist Development Council,
announced this morning that the TDC, probably through the efforts of Darrel Jones, the TDC
Executive Director, had done an "end run" around the direction of it's own Board
of Directors.
Kelly stated that the TDC Board voted against a proposal for 4 years of funding
for the Destin and FWB Chambers of Commerce. Kelly also stated that since most
Chamber memberships were on a year-to-year basis, the Board felt such an obligation
would be inappropriate. The two chambers get $20,000 each per year, or
$40,000. The Chambers said that they could "plan better" if $160,000,
over 4 years, was guaranteed to them. The Board refused their request.
Tuesday night, at the County Commission meeting, Commissioner Ray Sansom made a
motion to fund those Chambers for three years, for $120,000, and it passed.
Darrel Jones, who was in attendance, stated that he "had no problem " with this
multi-year funding. Mr. Jones should have had a problem because in agreeing, he went
against the direction his own Board of Directors.
This is further proof that the TDC is a loose cannon and answers only to those
who politically support it. This non-elected bureaucracy, with it's own taxing district
and the power to tax and spent large sums, needs to be disbanded through referendum. Such
arrogance reflects the current state of politics in Okaloosa County and must be stopped.
