During today’s county commission meeting, Commissioners Rhett Rowell, Ray Eddington and Bobby Burkett put the brakes on a plans to spend roughly $147,000 to renovate the board’s meeting room. Commissioners Kerry Smith and Colten Wright spoke out against stopping the project.
Pace resident Cindy Smith spoke out against the spending, referring back to last week’s county budget workshop. “One week we can’t afford this or that, and here we are talking about renovations…we’re throwing money out everywhere. I just don’t think this is a priority,” she said.
Sherry Chapman of Pea Ridge agreed. “I don’t see carpet fraying or tearing in disrepair,” she said, noting the State of Florida’s impending property tax reform, which will likely be on November’s General Election ballot and could within a decade end non-school property taxes. “Look at the money we’re going to need…put some in savings or for emergency times.”
Local watchdog Jerry Couey, who sounded the alarm about the board room renovations, said spending money on a renovation could compromise continuation of the county commission’s half cent Local Option Sales Tax, which voters will decide whether or not to renew in November.
Commissioner Colten Wright took offense to Couey’s statement, stating, falsely, that Couey has always campaigned against LOST. (Editor’s note: Couey has referred to sales tax as a fairer option than ad valorem). Wright went on to say the county has budgeted by not spent the following amounts for facilities on an annual basis:
- Fiscal year 2021: $2.5 million
- Fiscal year 2022: ~$840,000
- Fiscal year 2023: ~$400,000
- Fiscal year 2024: ~$498,000
- Fiscal year 2025: ~$563,000
- TOTAL ~$4.8 million
Citizens are now questioning why the county didn’t invest that nearly $5 milllion in remaining balance on infrastruture.
Ultimately, Wright and Smith voted to spend the money for the renovation; however, Burkett motioned to deny moving forward with the renovation at this time and was seconded by Rowell and joined by Eddington.
