Cutting bus routes, raising the gas tax and resolving reported management problems within the Clerk of Court’s Office are among major issues Okaloosa County commissioners will discuss at their meeting Tuesday in Crestview.
The board will meet at 6 p.m. at the courthouse on East James Lee Boulevard.
One of the most anticipated discussions will cover a recent risk assessment conducted by the county’s internal auditor, Carr, Riggs & Ingram. The report sharply criticized the Clerk of Court’s Office, citing numerous deficiencies that leave the county vulnerable to fraud.
Commission Chairman Don Amunds said Clerk of Court Don Howard is expected to speak after CRI’s report is presented.
“I agree that these deficiencies exist, and I’m anxious to hear Don Howard tell me what they plan on doing from here,” Amunds said.
Commissioners also will hear what residents have to say during public hearings on a proposal to cut three public bus routes — two in Crestview and one in Destin — and another proposal to raise the local gas tax by 3 to 5 cents.
Commissioners are considering cutting the bus routes because Okaloosa County Transit, the nonprofit group that operates the buses, faces a major budget shortfall.
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The Okaloosa County Commission will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the courthouse in Crestview.
Although ridership system-wide increased by 4 percent during the first seven months of this year compared to 2012, some specific routes dropped off significantly.
In the past year, Okaloosa County Transit saw a 7.5 percent decrease in ridership on its Crestview buses, with use of the route between City Hall and Wal-Mart dropping by 26 percent in the first six months of the year.
“There is a possibility of (the Crestview routes) getting cut,” Amunds said.
Commissioner Wayne Harris said the county gave residents a year to boost their use of the buses, and that didn’t happen.
“The bottom line is they didn’t use it, and the taxpayers just can’t keep paying for it,” he said.