CRESTVIEW — Okaloosa County is considering using a portion of its dedicated parks funding to pay for storm water improvements.
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Commissioners on Tuesday agreed to hold a public hearing on the issue at 6 p.m. Aug. 20 in Fort Walton Beach.
Supporters say the creation of a storm water utility eventually would improve water quality across the county.
“Funding for our storm water division is rapidly depleting,” said John Hofstad, the county’s director of public works. “We have just about used available reserves.”
Currently, residents living in unincorporated Okaloosa are part of a Municipal Services Taxing Unit that generates money to fund parks across the county. The county established the MSTU in 1984 after it settled a double-taxation lawsuit brought by three cities.
The MSTU generates about $1.1 million a year for parks. Under the proposal, the county would divert $400,000 to $450,000 from the fund each year to support a new storm water utility.
Hofstad said that money, added to the $500,000 provided from the general fund each year, would cover a basic level of storm water expenses each year.
County Commission Chairman Don Amunds urged residents to attend the Aug. 20 public hearing and voice their opinion on shifting the tax revenue. He questioned whether the board should alter the use of the money after previous commissioners promised residents it would be used to fund unincorporated parks.
“The public trusted the board to do what they said they would do,” Amunds said. “I understand that times have changed. … I just want to make sure we really push hard to hear input back from the public.”
Commissioner Dave Parisot disagreed, saying the county must make the decision based on its existing storm water needs.
“I don’t see this as any public trust issue,” he said.
Commissioner Nathan Boyles argued that it makes sense to use a portion of the park funding to improve the control of storm water.
“Many of our parks are based around the water,” Boyles said. “Those parks don’t do us much good if our water is constantly being rated a failure.”
Windes agreed that future water quality must be a factor in the decision.
“Let’s give the public the chance to see what we’re interested in,” he said. “Water quality is most important in our county. It’s who we are and what we do, for all intents and purposes.”
If the storm water proposal is approved, the county would begin diverting a portion of the parks funding after the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari C. Barlow at 850-315-4438 or kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KariBnwfdn.