The existing tax, which voters approved in November 2018 and took effect in January 2019, is set to expire at the end of 2028. With majority approval next fall, the tax would be renewed and be in place from January 2029 through December 2038.

At Tuesday’s commission meeting, Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce Chairman Gordon King asked the commission to approve placing the potential renewal of the surtax on next November’s ballot.

Supporting the FWB Chamber’s request, King said, are the Crestview, Destin and Niceville chambers of commerce, the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors, and the One Okaloosa Economic Development Council.

Everyone who makes a purchase at a business where sales tax is applied pays the half-cent surtax, according to county information. Collections of revenue from the existing surtax began in January 2019. Since then, the tax has generated more than $136 million, and those dollars were leveraged using matching grants for a total of $279 million, according to county information.

King said property taxes would have to increase by 19% to generate the same revenue as the surtax.

The surtax money has been monitored by a citizens’ oversight and advisory committee and spent on initiatives such as public safety improvements, road and bridge projects, and flood control and water quality projects.

Examples of projects and initiatives that have or will utilize sales-tax revenue include the southwest Crestview bypass, emergency services communication equipment that enhances communications between first responders and enhances response times, upgrades to John King Road in Crestview, improvements to County Road 2 near Laurel Hill, and the stabilization or paving of over 200 miles of dirt roads, most of which are in the north county.

Current and completed surtax projects are listed at https://myokaloosa.com/bcc/infrastructureprojects.

King said more than 56% of surtax dollars comes from tourists who visit Okaloosa County.

“So, every summer, they come and spend their money, and they’re helping to repair and replace and improve that infrastructure that we the citizens have the benefit of using,” he said.

King, who is the CEO of the Okaloosa Gas District, also told commissioners, “As the business community, we’ve seen the results of what you’ve done” with surtax-funded initiatives. “We realize it takes years of planning for the staff to put these projects in place. That’s one of the reasons we’re back here today, asking you to renew that tax for another 10 years.”

Unlike when the existing surtax was pitched by local officials, the county now has a track record of many completed initiatives that utilized surtax dollars and that can be shown to local residents, District 5 Commissioner Drew Palmer said.

The potential facility near northeast Okaloosa County is being proposed by Reliant Carbon Capture & Storage, of Greenwood Village, Colorado. According to county information, the company wants to build a carbon capture sequestration project called the Pine Hills Storage Hub on about 74,000 acres of working forestland in Covington County, Alabama, just north of the towns of Florala and Lockhart. Those towns stand just northeast of Laurel Hill.

The proposed project is intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by capturing carbon dioxide, which is odorless, and storing it permanently underground instead of releasing it into the air.

“The project proposes to construct a stainless-steel pipeline from north Alabama, which would transport liquified carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants to be injected beneath the land surface at the Pine Hills site in southeastern Alabama,” Okaloosa County Deputy County Administrator of Operations Craig Coffey said in a report to the commission.

He said that in November 2024, Reliant entered into an easement agreement with the Yulee, Florida-based Rayonier Inc. timberland management firm on the working forestland in southeast Alabama. At the proposed storage hub, the CO₂ would be injected over 3,000 feet below the surface into deep porous rock formations and below drinking water sources, Coffey said in his report.

He noted that the proposed project requires the approval of the EPA and the Alabama Oil and Gas Board. Reliant’s applications to the EPA for an underground injection well are still early in the process, he said.

‘Cascading events’

As for long-term implications, the proposed project “has the potential to cause a host of cascading events that could affect us dramatically in our county,” Coffey said at the commission meeting. “Those cascading events range from seismic activity to contamination of groundwater. If you think about groundwater, you have the Yellow River, the Shoal River, and the Choctawhatchee River, which feed our estuary systems.”

Coffey also said potential contamination of well water from the proposed project might not show up for years, with people possibly getting cancer or experiencing other health problems.

The Walton County Commission on Nov. 12 sent a letter of opposition against the proposed project to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, EPA leaders, and the Alabama Oil & Gas Board.

According to information from Reliant cited by Okaloosa County officials, “Energy demand is soaring and fossil fuels (coal and natural gas) will remain part of our realistic energy mix for years to come. (Carbon capture and storage) helps American industry and people to continue to utilize fossil fuels for power while reducing the environmental impact.”

In May 2024, Alabama’s governor signed major carbon capture and storage legislation into law. According to information from Reliant, the law confirms that:

• Surface landowners are the legal owners of the underground pore space used for CO₂ storage
• Operators of carbon capture and storage areas can now combine storage facility areas with consent from at least 66.6% of landowners, promoting the development of large-scale sequestration projects
• An Administrative and Long-Term Trust Fund has been established under the Alabama State Oil & Gas Board to support oversight and post-closure monitoring of storage sites
• The bill creates a formal process for issuing a Certificate of Project Completion, at which point title and monitoring responsibility for sequestered CO₂ is transferred to the state of Alabama.

‘Appalled’

At the commission meeting, District 1 Commissioner and Commission Chairman Paul Mixon said the northeast corner of Okaloosa County is closest to his district. After noting the potential impact of the proposed Reliant project to various waterways in the area, he suggested the commission “take extremely strong opposition” to the project.

District 4 County Commissioner Trey Goodwin said the proposed project has potential implications for all commission districts, as well as multiple counties in Florida. He added that the proposed Pine Hills Storage Hub would basically be “a dump.”

The proposal to transport liquified carbon dioxide from north Alabama to southeast Alabama “is sort of like saying, ‘I’ve got some garbage in my yard and the way I’ll clean it up is I’ll put it in my neighbor’s yard,’” Goodwin said.

The aquifer that provides drinking water to Okaloosa County “is the envy of everybody, and everybody wants that water, so we have to protect that aquifer,” said District 2 Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel, who thanked local residents for notifying her about Reliant’s proposed project. “I’m appalled that Alabama wants to do this” project. “It’s not just the water. We could end up having seismic activity.”

In other business on Tuesday, the commission agreed to have Goodwin serve as the commission’s chairman and District 5 Commissioner Drew Palmer serve as vice chairman for the 2026 calendar year.

“This decision is a result of increasing professional obligations, personal responsibilities, and ongoing health considerations that require my full attention at this time,” Bullard said in his letter. “Serving the residents of Crestview has been an honor, and I am deeply grateful for the trust placed in me. I am proud of the progress we have made together and confident in the continued success of our city.”

Whitten did not read the rest of Bullard’s letter at the meeting. Here is the remainder of the letter:

“As one of my final actions this year, I have chosen to donate my remaining discretionary funds to two local nonprofit organizations that directly serve and support our community,” Bullard wrote. “Supporting these organizations reflects my ongoing commitment to the wellbeing and growth of Crestview.

“It has been a privilege to serve alongside each of you, and I appreciate the opportunity to have contributed to the city’s work. I look forward to supporting Crestview in other capacities and remain committed to our shared vision for its future.”

Bullard joined the council after being elected to his current four-year term in November 2022. He represents precinct 2, which covers the city limits south of Interstate 10. His term expires next November.

When reached by phone today, Bullard said his resignation is “due to health concerns, and I’m a business owner: I’ve had a good increase in my professional obligations.”

Bullard is the founder and clinical director of BeHealthy Counseling in Crestview. According to the company’s website, he has advanced clinical expertise in trauma, perinatal and postpartum mental health, personality disorders, adolescent development, and mood disorders.

Funding

Each of the five city councilors receives $5,000 in discretionary funds from the city each year. Bullard said he is giving $2,500, or half of his discretionary funds, to the Homelessness & Housing Alliance and the other half to the Crestview Pregnancy Center. The money for the pregnancy center will support parenting education for new moms.

In addition to the discretionary funds, the city pays $420 per month, or $5,040 annually, to each city councilor. Bullard, however, said he elected not to receive any of the latter type of pay.

“I enjoyed being on the council,” he said. “I’m proud of how hard I fought for my community and am grateful for those who knew my character.”

Bullard said he was honored to push for the city’s smoking ban in city parks, play a big role in the renovation of Twin Hills Park, help get better pay for city firefighters, and use his professional expertise for the city’s first ever employee-assistance program.

“I’m the only one on the council who had young kids who utilized the park,” he said.

Bullard also noted that he hasn’t always seen “eye to eye” with Whitten, and that he was disappointed that the mayor read only a portion of his resignation letter at the council meeting.

“It kind of hurt a little bit,” Bullard said.

Whitten today said he read “what the council and the public needed to know: that he resigned. I didn’t think where he donated the money to was relevant. It’s a public record, if anyone wants to read the full letter. If he’s unhappy, that’s fine. I don’t really care.”

Seeking applicants

At the council meeting, City Manager Jessica Leavins said the council will utilize an appointment process for Bullard’s replacement. City residents who live within the city limits south of I-10 are eligible to apply for the precinct 2 council seat and serve the final year of Bullard’s unexpired term.

Leavins said information for applicants interested in filling the soon-to-be open seat will be posted on the city’s website, www.cityofcrestview.org, early next week.

“We’ll begin taking applications, and then we’re going to do our best to plan those interviews (of the top candidates) for right before the first (council) meeting in January,” she said.

The first council meeting of 2026 is set for Jan. 12. The new council member will be chosen either at the special session right before the regular meeting or at the regular meeting.

Whitten, who is a retired U.S. Air Force member and Florida high school teacher, serves on the Florida League of Cities Board of Directors and has served as Crestview’s elected mayor since April 2019. Before that, he served four years on the City Council.

Last month, Whitten was one of 33 mayors from various-size towns and cities across the U.S. to participate in the Mayors Foreign Policy Summit hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations and the United States Global Leadership Coalition in Washington, D.C.

During a panel discussion at the two-day summit, Whitten and other mayors talked with staff members of U.S. representatives and senators about international events affecting the mayors’ cities. A large part of the discussion focused on cartels shipping illegal drugs to the U.S. from Venezuela, Whitten said.

“My biggest problem that I see in Crestview is the drug trade, drug use, and the overdose problem” from opioids such as fentanyl, he told the News Bulletin today. “Basically, we as a country have given up on Latin America: We don’t fill a lot of our ambassador spots over there. To help me and my city, we need to look at that effect.”

Even if the U.S. shuts down the drug boat traffic from Venezuela, cartels will find other ways to get drugs here, Whitten said.

“The cartels are not going to give up the drug trade: It’s too financially rewarding to them,” he said. “It’s great we can shut down the (U.S.-Mexican) border, but the cartels will find a way. So little of our federal budget goes to our foreign relations. If we have no relationships with those countries, you’re affecting my city.”

Council on Foreign Relations President Michael Froman said mayors are “essential actors” in U.S. foreign policy.

“Cities are where international trade, immigration, and technological innovation intersect with people’s daily lives,” Froman said on Friday in a statement about the Mayors Foreign Policy Summit. “By bringing together mayors from across the country, we’re strengthening the crucial but underdeveloped link between local leaders and the policy community in Washington, not to mention the rest of the world.”

For more information about the Council on Foreign Relations and the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, visit cfr.org and https://www.usglc.org/.

Medcrest connects to West Redstone Avenue, which connects to other streets farther south on the way to Lowe’s and other businesses.

Once completed, the new road will allow motorists to travel from downtown Crestview “and get to the Lowe’s area without ever having to get on (State Road) 85,” Capps said.

Also during the networking breakfast, which was sponsored by Community Bank and took place at the Crestview Community Center, Capps provided updates on these city projects:

• A traffic light is in the works for the busy East Redstone Avenue-Brookmeade Drive intersection, which earlier this year was realigned for smoother traffic flow
• Expansions of the parking lot and the driving range netting at the city’s Blackwater Golf Club on Antioch Road are underway
• Design/survey work for a new city public services facility is making progress.

Breakfast attendees also heard remarks from District 2 Okaloosa County Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel. She praised Williams International, which recently broke ground on its huge manufacturing facility at the Shoal River Industrial Park east of Crestview.

Williams International will provide over 300 high-paying jobs “and more than a billion-dollar investment to this area,” Ketchel said. “The company builds (aviation) turbine engines that will help civilians and military markets.”

On another note, Ketchel talked about the 4.5-mile, photoluminescent bridge-to-bridge multi-use path that the county recently opened along U.S. Highway 98 on Santa Rosa Island.

“We just made the Guiness Book of Records for the longest photoluminescent path,” she said.

Ketchel then spoke about an issue that she said probably gets resuscitated every four or five years.

President Donald Trump, “probably mistakenly, decided to drill the eastern Gulf” for oil, she said.

Eglin Air Force Base officials, each Okaloosa County commissioner, and lobbyists, senators and congressmen who represent the Emerald Coast have engaged in opposing such drilling, Ketchel said.

The pacts consist of a $500,000 donation agreement with Coastal Conservation Association Florida and a $1.5 million interlocal agreement with Visit Pensacola.

The partnerships between the county and the two organizations “will foster amazing adventures for generations of visitors and create a tourism economy that will benefit the state and the entire Northwest Florida region,” County Commission Chairman Paul Mixon said today in a news release.

In early 2026, the 990-foot-long and 101-foot-wide SS United States is scheduled to be deployed in the Gulf and become the world’s largest artificial reef. The ship will be deployed about 22 nautical miles southwest of the Destin East Pass and 32 nautical miles southeast of the Pensacola Pass.

In 2024, county officials paid $1 million in tourist-development or “bed tax” money to buy the long-dormant SS United States. It eventually was towed from Philadelphia to Mobile, Alabama.

County officials earmarked a total of $10.1 million in bed-tax money to purchase, tow, and remove hazardous materials from the vessel, and create an on-land museum for the ship.

The museum might be established on the former Red Lobster restaurant property next to the Santa Rosa Sound in Fort Walton Beach.

This past spring, the county officials purchased the property for $3.5 million in county bed-tax money. While plans have not been finalized, county officials said the nonprofit SS United States Conservancy would manage the museum.

Money from CCA Florida

The $500,000 donation from the nonprofit, Orlando-based Coastal Conservation Association Florida toward the artificial reef project will be provided in two annual installments, starting Jan. 1, 2026, and ending Jan. 1, 2027, according to county Tourism Director Jennifer Adams.

In recognition of the donation, the county will provide the association with various in-kind benefits, including:

• Prominent logo placement and hyperlink on the county’s SS United States Project website and printed materials in perpetuity
• Public recognition through a dedicated social media post, inclusion in related posts and press releases, and acknowledgement at all major project events
• Museum exhibit representation, including a display at county-operated exhibits and coordination for a permanent feature with the SS United States Conservancy
• Commemorative items and access privileges, such as 10 aluminum portholes from the vessel, guided access/tours for documentation, and opportunities to participate in sendoff and deployment events
• On-site recognition, including a donor plaque mounted about the ship and banner space on the deployment vessel for media visibility
• A speaking opportunity at the pre-deployment press conference.

“CCA Florida is proud to once again partner with Okaloosa County, building on our long-standing collaboration on artificial reef projects and redfish stock enhancement,” CCA Florida Executive Director Brian Gorski said in the news release. “This partnership demonstrates how coordinated efforts between public agencies and nonprofit organizations can effectively serve our communities while advancing the health and resilience of our marine ecosystems. This project is particularly meaningful, as it represents the largest single donation in CCA Florida’s 40-year history. It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to contribute to the creation of the world’s largest artificial reef.”

Money from Visit Pensacola

In the county’s agreement with the not-for-profit Visit Pensacola, the destination marketing organization will, within 60 days of deployment, pay $1 million toward deployment costs and will contribute $100,000 annually for five years to joint marketing efforts.

According to Adams, the county and Visit Pensacola will adhere to a marketing plan to maximize exposure, tourism, and regional collaboration.

Visit Pensacola will participate in progress meetings, inspections, deployment events, and join promotion efforts, and the county will manage permitting, compliance, monitoring, and full project execution.

Both parties agree that public announcements and promotional events will be coordinated to ensure alignment in messaging and marketing, according to Adams.

Visit Pensacola is set to approve the funding agreement in December.

“Visit Pensacola is thrilled to partner with Okaloosa County on this historic initiative,” Visit Pensacola President and CEO Darien Schaefer said in the news release. “With the addition of the SS United States and Pensacola already home to the USS Oriskany, Northwest Florida is becoming one of the world’s most extraordinary destinations for divers and marine exploration.

“The transformation of the SS United States into the world’s largest artificial reef creates a rare opportunity to elevate our entire region on the global stage. Together, we’re bringing unmatched environmental value to the Gulf while creating new tourism and economic opportunities that will benefit our destinations for generations. This collaboration showcases what’s possible when our region works together with vision, purpose and a shared commitment for sustainable growth.”

Girard, who was appointed to the clerk position by the council on Nov. 15, 2021, did not name the council members involved. At previous council meetings, councilors Doug Capps and Ryan Bullard were the most vocal council members to express concerns about different aspects of Girard’s job performance.

In a 4-1 vote, the council on Monday accepted Girard’s resignation. Councilor Shannon Hayes cast the lone “no” vote.

“I’ve been very pleased with our city clerk,” Hayes said. “I’m not accepting her resignation.”

Looking ahead, City Attorney Jon Holloway plans to work on a separation agreement with Girard. The council agreed to have Deputy City Clerk Natasha Peacock serve as interim city clerk.

This past summer, the council agreed to have Girard undergo training from the Florida Association of City Clerks as part of a council-approved 90-day “performance improvement plan.”

A big part of the plan called for her to undergo public records training after city officials received some complaints about her handling of public records requests. Among other issues, some councilors expressed concerns about Girard being resistant to feedback from the council and her colleagues, not sufficiently following up on information technology issues, not coordinating with other city departments, and being defensive when concerns or suggestions were made.

At the Oct. 27 council meeting, Bullard and Capps supported terminating Girard at the end of her current contract, but Hayes and councilors Dusty Allison and Brandon Frost did not.

At that meeting, Girard told the council that, among other sessions, she completed the Florida Ethics, Public Records and Sunshine Law training session for 2025 provided by the Florida Institute of Government at Florida State University, as well as a long University of Wisconsin training certificate course on training and development.

The council had planned to discuss the performance improvement plan, as well as Girard’s annual performance evaluation, on Monday. Neither discussion occurred following her announcement about her resignation.

For the past four years, “I have taken great pride in fulfilling my responsibilities, ensuring transparency and accessibility of city records, acting as the compliance officer, promoting public engagement through timely official notices, and preserving the history of our community with integrity,” Girard told the council.

She said despite multiple requests for individual meetings with council members, “I’ve only had two council members meet with me to provide feedback for my annual evaluation. The lack of communication has made it increasingly difficult to carry out my responsibilities effectively.”

That’s when the commission unanimously approved Cooper’s appointment as the new fire chief of Dorcas, an unincorporated area that stands northeast of Crestview.

Cooper, who is a Marine Corps veteran and currently serves as a county EMS lieutenant and paramedic, has public safety experience dating back to 1977, county Public Safety Director Patrick Maddox told commissioners before they approved the appointment.

Cooper “has more than 13 years of fire service experience total, with four years as a deputy chief, five years as a chief in Nassau County – a hybrid fire service similar to that which we intend to create in Dorcas,” Maddox said.

Fifteen candidates applied for the fire chief position, and four of them were chosen for interviews by a hiring and selection committee.

Cooper “was selected as the best fit for the role unanimously; individually by each evaluator,” Maddox said.

The County Commission began serving as the Dorcas Fire District’s governing board in June 2024, after District 4 state Rep. Patt Maney, R-Shalimar, reported that the district had not filed an audit for three years and needed more oversight.

On June 13 of last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a Maney-sponsored House bill into law, changing the district from an independent special district to a dependent special district of the county.

Shortly after the bill took effect, the commission agreed to temporarily suspend the operation of the district. Since then, fire coverage and medical services for Dorcas have been provided by the Crestview Fire Department and the North Okaloosa and Almarante fire districts.

This past September, the commission approved a fiscal year 2026 budget and the addition of a fire chief and a fire captain for the Dorcas Fire District. As fire chief, Cooper’s annual starting salary will be $90,000. A fire captain is anticipated to be hired next March, at approximately the halfway point of fiscal year ’26.

Cooper and the fire captain will be responsible for command level evaluation of assets and needs, the fire station, equipment and operational readiness, recruitment of volunteers and standing up the operation while the current interlocal agreement with other fire service providers draws down, according to Maddox.

“I want to pledge that we as a team revitalize, reorganize and restore the faith and trust of the community that we’re going to provide fire service for,” Cooper told commissioners. “I know that we can do that.”

The potentially improved roads would help ease traffic congestion in the Hub City and support growth along the future southwest Crestview bypass, city officials said.

Among other potential upgrades to Rasberry Road, city officials are considering improving and paving the dirt portion of the road just west of Lowe’s.

The eastern end of the paved section of Rasberry stands between Applebee’s and Burger King off State Road 85 and just north of the Interstate 10 interchange. The paved section runs 0.6 of a mile to the southwest before it turns into a dirt road, which currently is a private road and not maintained by the city.

This portion of Rasberry runs about a half mile west to Retta Lane, which is a dirt road that extends less than a half mile north to Fallen Heroes Way. Fallen Heroes Way, which connects to SR 85 just north of the Crestview Commons, is the bypass’s two-lane, east-west “connector road.”

In addition to making potential upgrades to Rasberry, city officials are considering making Retta Lane a paved road.

First, the bypass

Crestview officials plan to have the planning, design and engineering tasks for the potential road projects started sometime after the construction of the Okaloosa County-led portion of the bypass is completed.

The county-led portion is on track to open by the end of this calendar year. It includes Fallen Heroes Way and the four-lane, north-south and currently unnamed section of the bypass that runs between the future, state-led I-10 interchange and U.S. Highway 90. The new interchange could open in late 2026.

Once Fallen Heroes Way opens, it will be maintained by the city. The north-south section of the bypass north of I-10, as well as a connecting road that runs from this part of the bypass to Antioch Road, will be maintained by the county.

‘Trying to stay ahead’

Any money left over from the $500,000 that the city has set aside for the upcoming planning, design and engineering tasks would be spent on the construction aspects of the potential Rasberry Road and Retta Lane projects, City Manager Jessica Leavins said on Wednesday.

Looking much further ahead, Retta Lane could someday be part of a new route that extends all the way north to Duggan Avenue, Leavins said.

Improving roads such as Retta Lane is part of a long-term plan to ease traffic congestion, she said.

“If we don’t start now, then when we need (new and/or better roads), there’ll be houses everywhere,” Leavins said. “That’s a lot of the complaints that we get in this town: People go, ‘You didn’t plan accordingly 25 years ago.’ So, we’re just trying to stay ahead of the game now. While traffic is a long-term situation, it is something we’re thinking about and we’re trying to work on it.”