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Council debates 7.9% contract increase for sheriff services, questions about costs and alternatives
Summary
Council members engaged in an extended debate over the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office service agreement, which included a proposed 7.88% increase in cost; council discussed recruitment, pay competitiveness, service levels, and whether to explore an independent municipal police force — no final vote is recorded in the provided transcript.
The Destin City Council spent a large portion of its Aug. 18 meeting in a detailed discussion about the proposed fiscal‑year 2026 law‑enforcement service agreement with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), which included a proposed 7.88% increase in the city’s contract payment for the same level of service.
Captain Fulton and city staff briefed the council that the increase was intended to cover market‑level personnel costs and that rejecting the increase could reduce service levels — staff estimated that, at current rates, a reduction in the contract could reduce available deputies to the city by about two positions.…
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