CRESTVIEW — The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is looking to decorate your next Christmas tree with an ornament featuring the new Okaloosa County Courthouse.
The CRA Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to move forward with the ornaments at the regular meeting on Oct. 8.
The ornaments are a fundraising effort by the CRA.
According to CRA Director Alisa Burleson, the funds will be for beautification of the downtown Crestview area.
"That could be either Christmas decorations or any beautification that we need," Burleson said.
This year's ornament is an oval-shaped, gold ornament with an engraving of the new Okaloosa County courthouse.
"At the risk of being the Grinch this afternoon, and I'm most appreciative that you're using my courthouse as the design," Okaloosa County Commissioner Nathan Boyles said. "… My concern is that your time at the end of the day is probably more valuable to this organization focused on the big picture revitalization things."
"There's a million dollars in the bank, and there's a lot to be done. I just want to be careful that we don't end up in the weeds on something like this that has limited upside."
Boyles also said this project would be better fit for the Main Street Association.
Burleson said the Main Street Association will be helping market the ornament.
"The main purpose of this is more of a good will thing," Burleson said. "Every year, I want to establish a new ornament representing the city of Crestview."
The CRA plans to order 20 ornaments that will be sold in a felt box for $20 each.
Total, the ornaments will cost almost $2,000 although additional funds could be added, Burleson said. Funds for the ornaments will come from the revitalization section currently sitting at $95,000.
Burleson said they hope to begin taking orders online and at the Oct. 27 Fall Festival in downtown Crestview.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CRA moving forward with Christmas ornament featuring the new courthouse