Okaloosa County’s courthouse in Crestview might be old, but this year it wasn’t quite old enough to score state funding for a major renovation.
That's state Rep. Matt Gaetz’s explanation for why the county’s $5 million request was left out of the state’s 2016 budget. Gaetz said he advocated for Okaloosa County’s request but was told the Crestview courthouse — built in the early 1950s — wouldn’t make the cut.
County officials had hoped to add the $5 million to $10 million already budgeted for the restoration and expansion of the courthouse.
The courthouse saw its last major improvements in 1962. Some of its major mechanical systems are running on vintage equipment. Other challenges include a lack of space and security gaps that force the judiciary, prisoners and the public to share the same areas.
In the spring the county worked with an outside consultant to design a courthouse that included major renovations and an addition. It would have added courtrooms, office space and left limited room for future growth.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa courthouse excluded from state budget