Editor's Note: These featured comments are the most thoughtful or eloquently stated comments from our Facebook page and crestviewbulletin.com and do not necessarily reflect the newspaper management's views.
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In the Weekend Edition, Crestview's city councilmen shared their preferences for dealing with a $2 million budget shortfall. Here are readers' thoughts about the issue.
The city should have a surplus
When is the last time you heard the word surplus used within the city of Crestview? The city needs to be aggressively pursuing businesses that the citizens of Crestview and North Okaloosa County would like to shop and/or dine at. Businesses that would cause more transient people to stop and stay longer here.
How about a local option sales tax? Occupancy tax? These two options alone are producers of revenue and also capitalize not only on residents but (also) those who shop from outside of Crestview and the many visitors who travel from out of our state. While a local option sales tax would affect citizens directly, an occupancy tax would affect more transient and business travelers than local. There are options available, but taxing on those things such as fire, water and sewer and millage should be considered last resort.
The more businesses you have within the city, the more tax revenue you will have. The City of Crestview needs to change their business approach from passive (if they come, they will come) to aggressive (we will go and get them).
The city of Crestview should be running a surplus every year and the budget should almost be double if it this city were managed properly.
Jeremiah Hubbard
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Time to raise taxes
We need a tax increase. Crestview cannot sustain its size and grow without it.
Todd Lawrence
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Higher taxes in other areas
The taxes here are almost nothing. Want to complain about taxes? Visit Washington D.C., New York or California. There needs to be slight increases across the board and it will make up the deficit quickly.
Paul Guenther
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Stop the annexing
One thing they must stop is annexing properties that they cannot afford to provide services to.
I, for one, would like to know how I can get out of the city. It would seem that if Joe Citizen wants to be annexed and can be, then Jane Citizen can opt out.
Silvia Clem Womack
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Okaloosa County's NAACP chapter has asked the Crestview City Council to establish an ordinance banning Confederate flags from fluttering on public property. Most of our Facebook fans opposed the proposal.
Confederate veterans are U.S. veterans
… In the late 1950s, by an act of Congress, all Confederate soldiers were declared U.S. veterans.
That flag was part of the memorial honoring a U.S. veteran — shame on those who had it removed. What an insult to the Lundy family and this community.
Fifty million Americans honor their families' Confederate soldier's ancestry. Removal or destruction of any memorial or headstone should be considered criminal, not celebrated.
Linda Meyers
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Citizens should have voted
It shouldn't be up to the NAACP; it should be up to the people, the citizens of Crestview. This is getting out of hand; you can't erase history.
Pamela Wratchford Austin
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Puzzled by flag's removal
The flag was not flying over Crestview; it was over a memorial dedicated to Confederate veterans.
Still trying to figure out why that was a problem.
Bella Pitts
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Disband the NAACP
How about we vote to disband the local chapter of the NAACP? They offend me! They stir the pot and help keep racism going to justify what they do.
Scott Zamorski
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More important things happening
We got people killing each other, stealing cars, dognapping — let's make sure we worry about important things like a flag.
Priscilla Lynn Lusk
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Is rewriting history next?
Too bad the city of Crestview is now bowing to pressure from one group of people. Pretty soon we won't be able to have any history in schools because it will offend somebody, or we'll just rewrite it to suit the special groups — never mind about the truth or what really happened.
Linda Grossman
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We're all in this together
Leave our flags alone, quit trying to act like we are all not in this life together — and it's time the race card be torn up and thrown away.
Melonie Lewis Wimberly
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A proposal to install parking meters in downtown Crestview drew mostly opposition from our Facebook fans.
Here are some of their comments.
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People will find free parking
The city of Crestview has gotten … greedy. Bet they figured by putting in parking meters, in comes money. But sorry, it'll be quite the opposite, because people will park somewhere else for free!
Brandi Lynn Parton
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Will not pay to park
If parking meters are put in, you may as well board up Main Street. I will not pay to park.
Shirl Griffin Long
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Focus on State Road 85 traffic
You want Main Street to flourish? Then leave it be. (If) you start limiting parking time or put up meters, businesses will pack up because people won't come.
Businesses and organizations have lunch meetings — do you want them to take their meetings elsewhere? There are dance studios, exercise studios and hair salons that will lose business due to parking restrictions and will fold or move.
Don't try to fix something that isn't (broken). Instead, worry about traffic on (State Road) 85.
Kellie Coe Vest
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Spending a day on Main Street
I can easily spend a whole day on Main Street! Sometimes, I'll go all out with my hair and nail appointments … then afterwards, I treat myself to Korean, and visit the boutique across the street, the pet store, and the new Rustic Reflections place. The appointments at the salon alone can take anywhere from two to four hours.
Sarah Hawkins
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Support the library
The Crestview library is a vital resource for our area's residents — not only for cultural pursuits, but (also) for internet access needed by our citizens to obtain their financial and health benefits, which allow them to continue to function as taxpayers.
Area residents of all ages count on our library to fulfill necessary and unique needs; we all need to support all they do!
Raymonda Schwartz
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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: HUBBUB: Crestview should have a surplus, stop the annexing