CRESTVIEW — The City Council unanimously voted to allow the tentative 2016-17 millage rate to remain unchanged as it begins planning for the new fiscal year.

“This is not the final millage,” City Clerk Betsy Roy said. “It can go down but it can't go up.”

Roy and her staff recommended the council adopt the current 6.9466 millage as a planning tool for the next fiscal year.

As the budget process begins, she and her staff will prepare property tax income projections from the current millage as well as several reduced millage rates.

“The difference in our projected income from millage this year if we stay at the 6.9466 is an increase of $136,000,” Roy said.

For budgeting purposes Roy uses 95 percent of that projection, which accounts for delinquent or unpaid taxes or other variations.

Roy will send the millage to the county property appraiser next week for inclusion in property owners’ TRIM—short for “truth in millage”—tax notices.

“When we get to the budget process, if, by chance,  we need to, we can lower it,” Roy said of the millage rate.

“I remind the council we are in the middle of hurricane season and we don’t want to set it low and then have to use our reserves for a hurricane and then not have money to function next year,” Roy said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview sets 2016-17 millage rate (VIDEO)

DESTIN — The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association will have a forum for District 4 State House of Representatives candidates before the Aug. 30 election.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the forum starts at 6 p.m. Aug. 4 at the Destin City Hall Annex, 4100 Indian Bayou Trail.

For more information contact Steven Menchel, 837-3838.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: District 4 Representatives candidates forum set

CRESTVIEW — Revisions in state alcohol permitting and sales statutes has led to the city having to evaluate its own ordinances to make sure they are in line with the new state laws.

"We can't override the state statutes," city attorney Ben Holley told the council during Monday evening's workshop.

The amended state rules were effective July 1. Growth Management Director Teresa Gaillard pointed out several provisions that will affect the city's ordinance.

●The amendment permits municipalities, counties, and nonprofit civic and charitable organizations to be issued no more than 12 temporary alcoholic beverages permits per calendar year. It requires counties and municipalities to donate all net profits from the sale of alcoholic beverages to a nonprofit civic or charitable organization within 90 days of the event.

●The amendment permits the state Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco to issue an alcoholic beverage license to "railroad transit stations." "Licenses issued to railroad transit stations would not be subject to the quota license restrictions that limit the number of such licenses that may be issued per county," Gaillard stated in a briefing memo to council members.

That provision could come into effect in Crestview if Amtrak passenger rail service is restored between Jacksonville and New Orleans and the Community Redevelopment Agency is successful in building a multi-use facility modeled after the city's old train depot, Gaillard said.

●Alcoholic beverage vendors who have been licensed since June 30, 2015, to sell beer and wine only for consumption off the premises (package stores) are allowed to sell large quart, half-gallon and gallon containers called "growlers."

Gaillard said under the new rules, it appears the city's regulations that prohibit alcohol sales within 500 feet of a school or church, or 300 feet of residences, will be safe.

That was good news to Council President Joe Blocker.

"I have been asked several times, 'Mr. Blocker, do not allow our downtown to be turned into a beer garden,'" he said.

"We'll be having some requests (for alcohol licenses) so we need to get our rules and regs in order," Gaillard said. "We have several places that have requested the opportunity to serve alcohol."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview to revise alcohol regulations

CRESTVIEW — The Okaloosa County Republican Club is hosting a forum for Congressional District 1 Republican candidates Rebekah Johansen Bydlak, Cris Dosev, Greg Evers, Brian Frazier, Matt Gaetz, Mark Wichern and James Zumalt.

Event moderators are Marvin Brigman and Brian Mitchell of OCREC.

The forum is 6:30 p.m. July 28 at the American Legion, Hollywood Blvd., Fort Walton Beach.

The forum is free to attend.

Dinner costs $15 per person; to make a reservation, call 376-2287.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Republican District 1 Congressional candidate forum set

FORT WALTON BEACH — Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee is endorsing Matt Gaetz for his First Congressional District bid.

“I’ve seen a lot of people go to Washington promising to change it; instead, Washington changed them. I don’t worry about that with Matt Gaetz because if he gets elected to Congress, I think he will do what he has been doing all his political life — changing the institutions and challenging them,” Huckabee said.

“He’s been 100 percent consistent in his pro-life convictions. He’s supported our Second Amendment and defended it vigorously. He’s supported lower taxes and he’s also trying to get government off the backs of small businesses. Matt is just the kind of congressman we desperately need to have in Washington representing our interests, not the special interests.”

“I’m excited to have the support of Governor Huckabee in my campaign for Congress,” Gaetz said. “Mike is a dear friend, conservative champion, faith leader, and resident of the First Congressional District. He understands first-hand the failures of Washington and the need to fight for bold conservative reforms to restore America.”

Gaetz, a Fort Walton Beach attorney, represents portions of Okaloosa County in the Florida House of Representatives. He currently chairs the Finance & Tax Committee.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Huckabee endorses Gaetz for Congress

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview City Council will have a workshop 7 p.m. July 25 or immediately after the 6:15 p.m. special meeting at city hall, 198 Wilson St., N.

Here is the workshop's revised agenda.

1. Call to order

2. Pledge of Allegiance

3. Open workshop

4. Public opportunity on council propositions

5. Out-of-city utility services

6. Alcohol beverage information

7. Vendors ordinance

8. Comments from the audience

9. Adjournment

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview City Council revised workshop agenda: July 25

FORT WALTON BEACH — Okaloosa County’s Recycling Office is the North American Hazardous Materials Management Association-Florida chapter’s “Household Waste Program of the Year.”

In 1991, the county received $100,000 from the Hazardous Waste Collection Center Grant managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Since then, the county has grown its program by participating in as many as 10 Cooperative Collection Center Arrangement Grants, supporting 10 neighboring counties throughout the Florida Panhandle.

Amnesty day types of events have been offered annually to a base population of about 500,000 residents.

In addition, students, farmers and emergency responders throughout the county have participated in the following programs to better manage hazardous waste:

●High schools’ and middle schools’ chemistry lab inventories: to catalog, identify and dispose of outdated chemicals

●Operation Cleansweep: collect and properly dispose of canceled, suspended and unused pesticides.

●Innovative Technology Grants: experimented with and promoted research for methods of disposing of latex paint in concrete and in a patented roofing system.

Aside from providing free drop-off of household hazardous waste to residential customers, the Recycling Office obtained FDEP’s approval to accept Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator Waste from small businesses for a fee, using its existing contract with a licensed hauler.

The permanent hazardous materials facility in Fort Walton Beach is open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. The satellite drop-off facility in Crestview is open 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa recycling offices win Household Hazardous Waste award

The next meeting of Republican Women of Okaloosa Federated will feature an informational forum of the Republican candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Non-members and guests are always welcome, as well as any Registered Republican candidates.

The meeting starts at 11:30 a.m. Aug. 3  at Wyndham Garden Hotel,  573 Santa Rosa Blvd., Fort Walton Beach. Lunch is at noon, and a "dine and dash" table will be set up for those who can only stay for a limited time. 

Cost is $16 for members and $18 for guests. To make a reservation, contact Donna Pattison, 651-5416 or donnapattison@cox.net, by July 30.

For people who can't attend the daytime meetings, auxiliary meetings are at 6:30 p.m. first Wednesdays at Clemenza's, Uptown Station, Fort Walton Beach. Contact Therese Sweeney, Trays9@cox.net, for auxiliary meeting information.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Republican women's meeting includes House of Representatives candidate forum

CRESTVIEW — The Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections has received reports of phone calls being made to voters across the county soliciting personal information.

The caller identifies himself or herself as being from the “elections office,” without specifying a location or official office.

The elections office stated in a media release that the caller will list names and ask if that person is at the number, then ask for personal information from whomever answers the call.

The Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections does not solicit personal information except for verification purposes and will identify the office if and when voters are called.

Attempts to contact the malicious caller at the phone number listed — 386-951-3006 — results in an “Invalid Extension” notification and an immediate hang-up.

The SOE office asks that area residents be aware of this number and do not give any personal information when prompted.

Anyone who has received one of these phone calls and given personal information is asked to report it to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Fraud Hotline, 651-7674.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa Supervisor of Elections warns of malicious phone calls

FORT WALTON BEACH — The next meeting of the Okaloosa County Republican Club features a Congressional District 1 forum.

The event begins with socializing at 6:30 p.m. July 28 at American Legion Post 235, 105 S.W. Hollywood Blvd.   Dinner is at 7 p.m. and costs $15 per person and includes drinks and gratuity. Menu choices are chicken alfredo or grilled chicken salad.

Visitors are welcome and encouraged to attend.

For information about the club, call President Mark Franks at 240-1279. To make a dinner reservation, call Vice President Nate Lepper at 376-2287.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Republican club meeting includes candidate forum