CRESTVIEW — On two 3-2 votes, the City Council has approved a .25 percent increase in property taxes and a $29,110,313.35 budget.

Council President Robyn Helt and Councilman Tom Gordon voted nay on both resolutions.

The motions to adopt the tax increase and budget were both made by Councilman Shannon Hayes and seconded by Councilman Joe Blocker. Councilman Mickey Rytman also voted in favor of the resolutions.

Crestview resident Thomas Simms chastised the council for not addressing operational issues that led to the increased budget and for failing to curb personnel expenses.

"It's impossible to live with 80 percent of the budget going to personnel," Simms said. "If my mortgage was 80 percent of my income, I couldn't survive."

After the vote, Helt, who had strongly implored her fellow council members to address these and other issues, said, 'I'm disgusted. I might as well trade in my car and go back to horse-and-buggy days."

During discussion she cautioned that increasing taxes without addressing operational issues was "unsustainable."

"If we're going to increase rates, we need to see some changes," Helt said.

Gordon also felt not enough cuts had been made, and called raising taxes "going after low-hanging fruit."

The adopted budget, which will come before the council for a final vote in two weeks, does not include any personnel cuts, but does require every city employee to take 32 hours of unpaid furlough.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Council approves raising millage and $29 million budget

HOLT — The Holt Volunteer Fire District has nearly reached its $3,000 goal for repairing a 2001 Dodge brush truck.

The fire district raised $2,656 from an Aug. 30-31 rib sale, which inched members closer to their target.

The district sold out of racks of smoked barbecue ribs, fire district treasurer Jim Connors said.

"We sold 396 racks of ribs," Connors said. "We actually had people buy racks of ribs and say, 'Give (them) to someone else.'"

The district, with First Baptist Church of Holt’s assistance, found four needy residents who received free meals.  

"We got great support from the community," Connors said of the sale. "People told us they smelled the smoke from Highway 90 and they followed it (to the fire station)."

The district maintains and insures the 160,000-mile brush truck while it is on loan from the Florida Forestry Service. Members use the truck when they respond to calls in wooded areas with dirt roads, Connors said.

From raffles to fishing tournaments, the fire department has several fundraisers throughout the year. Fundraising helps the department cover rising fuel costs, insurance costs and other district needs.

The fire district, which has 13 volunteer firefighters, responded to 346 medical and fire calls in 2012, Connors said.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown at 850-682-6524 or matthewb@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbMatthew.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Holt Volunteer Fire District closer to $3K goal, brush truck repair

CRESTVIEW — Three of five City Council members have reluctantly nodded to raising ad valorem taxes while the firefighters union presented a proposal to force senior management members into early retirement.

City Clerk Betsy Roy left Thursday’s budget workshop — which Fire Chief Joe Traylor called "a spirited debate” — with somewhat of a council consensus to finalize a budget based on a .25 percent millage increase.

Most of the three-and-a-half-hour meeting focused on the Crestview Fire Fighters Association’s proposal to force Traylor, Deputy Chief Cedric Peterson and Battalion Chief John Rydell into retirement.

Traylor confirmed that the three firefighters are eligible to retire, and that at least three more will be eligible for retirement during the next fiscal year, but said that it should be up to the firefighter to decide if it is time he should retire.

"The offer of early retirement is probably an appropriate thing to do," Traylor said. "If people accept it, then they accept it."

Capt. Jim Poirrier, the firefighters union’s president, said forcing the three department leaders into early retirement would be preferable to laying off a junior firefighter, who would receive no pay.

"If you can send a person home without a paycheck, you can send someone home with a retirement check for the rest of his life,” he said.

Of the three, two, including Traylor, have fewer than 20 years of service and could retire with about $60,000 in annual retirement pay. Peterson, with 30 years of service, would be eligible for $89,000 annually in retirement, Poirrier said, using data he received from Finance Director Patti Beebe.

Junior firefighters' starting pay is between $25,000 and $28,000.

The union estimated the city would trim $301,000 from its budget by retiring the more highly paid senior management and replacing them with lower salaried junior leaders.

Council members were cautiously receptive to the idea, but generally agreed it was not feasible to implement the plan this year. Council President Robyn Helt pointed out that previous realignments in other departments have been successful.

Councilmen Joe Blocker, Shannon Hayes and Mickey Rytman spoke in favor of accepting the budget as presented by Roy at the start of the meeting, while Helt and Councilman Tom Gordon continued their stance that a tax increase was unacceptable.

"I don't think it's reasonable, I don't think it's fair, and most importantly, I don't think it's sustainable,” Helt said of a millage increase.

The meeting abruptly adjourned at 8:30 p.m. in mid-debate upon Hayes’ motion and a voice vote of approval.

Want to go?

A public hearing on the proposed 2013-14 city budget is 5 p.m. Sept. 10 at City Hall.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview's latest proposed budget to include millage increase

CRESTVIEW — Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections staffers Louise McGirr and Shirley Young have been designated Certified Elections/Registration Administrators.

This award is the highest designation available to elections and voter registration officials. Nationwide, 800 election officials have achieved the CERA status. McGirr and Young were recognized during ceremonies conducted Aug. 16 at the Election Center in Savannah, Ga.

The Okaloosa County Elections Office now holds three CERAs, with the third being Supervisor of Elections Paul Lux, who earned the designation in 2007.

The title is achieved through a multi-year course conducted by The Election Center’s Professional Education Program and completion of 12 core courses taught by the Auburn University Masters in Public Administration faculty.

Course topics include ethics, voter registration and elections law, planning, communications and voter participation, among others. The goal is to professionalize voter registration management and elections administration, promoting and preserving public trust in the democratic process.

“McGirr and Young both celebrate their 10th anniversary with the elections office this year,” Lux said. “In addition to their combined 20 years of elections experience, they now have their CERA status. I’m especially proud of their accomplishments. Not many people know what we do, but we really serve as the voters' representatives to make sure the process is fair to all.  The CERA program teaches us that we act as the referees to make sure the rules are followed by all.”

The Professional Education Program is sponsored by The Election Center, a non-profit association of voter registrars and elections administrators throughout America. Its membership is comprises township, city, county and state elections officials.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview staff awarded highest honor for elections officials

CRESTVIEW — City leaders have set one more workshop to finalize Crestview's 2013-14 budget and millage rate before a formal public hearing at 5 p.m. Sept. 10.

City Council members and other officials expressed frustration that the most recent proposed budget, presented during a Wednesday workshop, is just a "Band-Aid” for larger problems.

The latest proposal

Using a 5.8466 millage rate set before the budgeting process began — an increase from the current 5.5966 — department heads had started with a $538,166 deficit.

Savings were found in several areas, including furloughing all city employees for 32 hours during the fiscal year. Other suggested cost-cutting measures are as follows:

•Transferring $288,328 from the sanitation fund to the general fund.

•Firefighters voluntarily giving up $57,180 in incentive pay.

•Projecting an extra $40,000 in fees through the revised permitting fee schedule.

•Removing $33,820 in police and firefighter uniform allowances.

•Sharing the mayor's administrative assistant with the Main Street Crestview Association through a $30,000 reimbursement from the Community Redevelopment Agency.

•Eliminating the police department's $8,000 K-9 division budget.

Funding needed services

In addition to balancing the budget, savings would fund:

•$100,000 toward deferred road paving projects

•$60,000 in needed fire equipment

•$30,000 for the Crestview Public Library to purchase new books and computers

•$16,000 to move the police dispatch center from P.J. Adams Parkway to police headquarters

•$10,000 in computer upgrades

City leaders’ reactions

Because the proposed budget includes the increased millage, Councilman Tom Gordon said, "I'm not satisfied. I still think raising taxes is going after low-hanging fruit."

Council President Robyn Helt also expressed her displeasure with the ad valorem rate increase, and the failure to address problems that led to the budget woes.

"As (City Clerk Betsy Roy)so eloquently stated, it is a Band-Aid," Helt said. "The budget before us says we are inefficient and we're not doing our job."

However, Councilman Shannon Hayes contended that taxpayers would accept the .25 percent increase rather than have services curtailed or eliminated.

Ultimately, “this proposal does not fix our inherent problems," Roy said.

Helt agreed, and asked department heads to revise the budget.

Helt’s suggestion to eliminate $277,000 for city employee dependent insurance was omitted from Roy's proposed budget. Helt had said it was unfair to ask taxpayers who couldn't afford insurance for their own families to buy it for city employees' families.

Helt had also suggested eliminating four police positions funded by a soon-expiring grant. However, Police Chief Tony Taylor said the grant’s terms obligate the city to retain the officers for at least a year after it expires.

Though department heads each expressed dissatisfaction with their respective budgets, each said they would accept them, although reductions will affect their operational capabilities.

"I am willing to settle for the budget that is given to us at this time, but I want you to know that if money comes in the future, I will be back here," Library Director Jean Lewis said.

Want to go?

The final Crestview City Council budget workshop is 5 p.m. Sept. 5 at City Hall. The first public hearing on the budget and millage rate is 5 p.m. Sept. 10; votes on the budget and millage are scheduled for 5 p.m. Sept. 24. The new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Final budget workshop set; latest proposal won't 'fix … problems'

CRESTVIEW — The City Council has unanimously taken the first step to adopt an ordinance that will bring the permitting fee structure up to date.

The new fee schedule, adopted Monday, is expected to make the Permitting Division self-sufficient, freeing up an estimated $40,000 from the tightly trimmed proposed city budget.

To put the new ordinance in place, the council must repeal Chapter 14 of the city code and replace it with the revised schedule, which building official Jonathan Bilby has been working on for more than a year.

"The language in Chapter 14 has not been revised since the mid-'90s and has not kept up with state law," Bilby said during Monday’s City Council workshop.

The "base code" used in Crestview's new ordinance is modeled closely on Florida Building Code, Bilby said. The new code includes a provision to assure taxpayers no longer pay to have other people’s projects inspected.

"If the permit fee does not cover the cost of required inspections, a trip charge of $30 shall be added for each inspection not covered by the permit fees," the new ordinance states.

Bilby reviewed the proposed ordinance with the local Building Industry Association chapter, which found the new fee schedule acceptable.

At the City Council’s direction, Bilby had looked at the possibility of exempting small homeowner improvements to alleviate the burden of permitting and inspecting.

Two types of projects he presented for consideration are non-structural residential fences, which currently require a $75 permit, and small residential storage sheds, which require a $75-100 permit.

Since Oct. 1, 2012, the city has permitted and inspected 28 sheds and 51 fences, generating about $6,500 in fees.

Want to go?

The Crestview City Council will discuss a new permitting fee schedule during a 5 p.m. Sept. 9 workshop at City Hall. City leaders will vote on the ordinance establishing the schedule at 6 p.m.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Revised permitting fees expected to make department self-sufficient

CRESTVIEW — New statewide "public participation in public meetings" laws require the city to revisit its own policies, if only to bring them into compliance with state regulations, city attorney Jerry Miller said.

Speaking at a Monday evening City Council workshop, Miller emphasized that Crestview, unlike some municipalities, already has a "very liberal" public participation policy.

"It would appear in some jurisdictions they were not very gracious with their time and listening to public comment," Miller said.

The new legislation is an opportunity for Crestview to refresh several of its own rules, Miller said. On his advice, the council repealed  policy 93-3, "Meeting General Rules of Order."

"I didn't find it a very useable document for most purposes," Miller said. "I found it way longer than it needs to be."

Under the legislation, the city should also revisit its rules for participation in quasi-judicial hearings, which, Miller said, by law should be limited to site-specific rezoning and project approvals.

The public can still attend quasi-judicial hearings, but only people "with standing," or involvement in the hearing, should be allowed to speak.

Miller said the council is involved in too many quasi-judicial hearings. Approving many projects brought before it shouldn't be the council's responsibility, Miller said.

By becoming enmeshed in considering projects already approved by various city boards, the council risks legal challenges if it disapproves a project that has met the city's requirements for approval.

Recently, for example, a city councilman voted against a project that had met the city's code requirements simply because he disapproved of its aesthetics.

"In property rights issues, we ought to have as much freedom as reasonable, and even some unreasonable," Miller said.

At its regular meeting of the evening, the council voted unanimously to repeal policies 93-3 and 09-01, which was also found to conflict with the new legislation.

Miller said he will have a new policy to present to the council at its Sept. 9 meeting.

"We will always do what we've always done and that is encourage and invite public participations in our meetings," Council President Robyn Helt said.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: New state legislation on public participation spurs new ordinance

CRESTVIEW — After receiving city officials’ praise for Crestview's current trash contractor, the City Council unanimously approved renewing Waste Pro's contract for another five years.

Republic Services' Municipal Services manager Rory Cassedy, representing subsidiary Allied Waste Services, and Ralph Mills, Waste Pro’s regional vice president, addressed the council prior to the vote.

Cassedy stressed his company's bid would save small businesses $33.92 per month in garbage fees, or $407.04 a year, over current rates, or $287.04 annually contrasted with Waste Pro's bid.

Click here for price comparisons of the four solid waste removal candidates >>

Mills emphasized his company's much-lauded customer service and "flat management" structure.

Waste Pro's bid reduces residential and commercial rates, he said, yet provides customers four to five services per week, including twice-weekly trash pick-up, and recycling, yard waste and junk pick-ups.

Since assuming the city's garbage contract in 2007, Waste Pro has provided 10.2 million services, Mills said.

Bids were received from Allied and Waste Pro, as well as Waste Management and Inland Waste Services. A three-person evaluation committee comprising Finance Director Patti Beebe, City Clerk Betsy Roy and Public Services Director Wayne Steele rated the companies.

 Waste Pro ranked first and Allied ranked third in the evaluations.

Councilman Tom Gordon asked committee members why they recommended Waste Pro over the other bidders.

"You get what you pay for sometimes, and sometimes you don't," Steele said. "In the past five years, we got what we paid for. It was such a refreshing partnership to work with a company that did what you asked them and they met your expectations."

After noting that Waste Pro has "proved themselves over and over," Councilman Shannon Hayes moved to approve a contract with the company. The motion passed unanimously.

Anticipating the council would choose Waste Pro or Allied, City Clerk Betsy Roy had prepared two ordinances granting the city's contract to the two companies respectively.

After Councilman Joe Blocker moved to grant the contract to Waste Pro, which passed unanimously, Roy withdrew the ordinance drafted for Allied.

Waste Pro's new five-year contract becomes effective Oct. 1.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: City Council agrees to renew contract with Waste Pro

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott has announced the appointment of Patricia Hollarn to the Florida Elections Commission. Hollarn, 78, of Shalimar is a former Okaloosa County elections supervisor, Main Street Crestview Association member and owns Integrity Unlimited LLC. She succeeds Gregory King and is appointed for a term that began Aug. 20 and ends Dec. 31, 2016.

Senate President Don Gaetz nominated Hollarn for the position on the commission, which enforces Florida’s election laws, investigates and adjudicates complaints and oversees the elections process for national, state and local races.

“Hollarn was the elected supervisor of elections in Okaloosa County for 20 years. She became nationally known for her successful Operation Bravo efforts to ensure that deployed military could easily vote and be assured of having their votes counted. Her Kids Vote and Kids Vote, Too programs instructed tens of thousands of Okaloosa children in the importance and practice of voting,” a press release from Gaetz's office stated.

The appointment is subject to the Florida Senate’s confirmation.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Hollarn appointed to Florida Elections Commission