Okaloosa County’s 2015-16 budget deliberations won’t begin until mid-summer, but officials are already prioritizing funding needs.
Among those is the county courthouse in Crestview, which has served citizens since 1953 and is in dire need of renovation.
Commissioners have budgeted about $12 million for the project but also have asked the state Legislature for an additional $5 million appropriation.
“It’s a safety issue right now for the public,” Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel said, noting that prisoners and the public often are forced to occupy the same spaces.
“ … That’s our county seat. We have to make that a building everyone’s proud of and that works functionally.”
Commission Chairman Nathan Boyles said the restoration and expansion of the courthouse will be “a topic of substantial discussion” during budget deliberations, particularly if the legislature rejects the county’s funding request.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari C. Barlow at 850-315-4438 or kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Courthouse among county's top priorities