Drama and heated disagreement enlivened what was expected to be a routine vote to raise property taxes at Okaloosa County’s final budget hearing Monday night.
But in the final minutes of the two-and-a-half-hour meeting, commissioners voted 3-2 to increase property taxes by 4.3 percent for fiscal year 2013-14.The board unanimously approved the proposed $280 million budget that raises the property tax rate from 3.2899 mills to 3.4308 mills.
Commission Chairman Don Amunds and Commissioner Kelly Windes voted against the property tax increase.
Just before the board’s first vote on the millage, Commissioner Dave Parisot surprised his fellow commissioners by insisting he would not cast a vote on the property tax rate until the commissioners who were against the tax increase could outline what they would cut to balance the budget.
Commissioner Kelly Windes told Parisot he answers to the local residents and not Parisot. Commissioner Nathan Boyles accused Parisot of hijacking the meeting to make a point.
“I think, frankly, what you’re asking for is unfair,” Boyles said. “It’s OK that we disagree.”
Commissioner Wayne Harris told Parisot he was “holding this organization hostage” and that he should “do the right thing.”
The board voted, but Parisot abstained, which county attorney John Dowd said wasn’t allowable.
After a 10-minute recess, called by Amunds, the board reconvened and Windes suggested cutting $1.82 million from the county’s self-insurance fund, its capital outlay reserves and general fund reserves.
Parisot objected to those cuts and announced he would support the property tax increase. The board voted again and the measure passed.
The property tax in-crease is expected to generate money needed to cover a $1.85 million increase in Florida Retirement System contributions passed down to counties by the state Legislature.
Under the increase, the average homeowner with a taxable property value of $124,031 would pay an additional $17 a year. County employees will receive a 3 percent cost-of-living increase that will be funded with health insurance rebates granted to the county by its insurance carrier. Also included is a $2.1 million increase for the Sheriff’s Office, which is about half of what Sheriff Larry Ashley initially requested.
Other expenditures in the county budget include $125,000 for a new roof for the Okaloosa County Jail, $500,000 to renovate the old Fort Walton Beach Hospital building, $110,000 for a new Sheriff’s Office roof and $1.5 million in road equipment replacements and repairs.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari C. Barlow at 850-315-4438 or kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KariBnwfdn.
