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Walton County fills multiple advisory-board vacancies, confirms new members across library, planning and tourism seats
Summary
The board approved a slate of appointments and filled vacancies on the Library Advisory Board, Design Review Board and Tourism Development Council seat; several planning and advisory board ballots were conducted and staff committed to continued targeted recruitment for remaining vacancies.
Walton County commissioners approved several volunteer appointments across advisory boards and commissions during the Feb. 11 meeting.
Highlights of appointments and procedures: - Library Advisory Board: Commissioners approved a slate of appointees to fill six vacancies; Anne Beard (District 1), Robert Plant (District 2), Lee Grantham (District 3) and Lynn Lemire (at-large) were among those named, and Christine (Kristen) Bacon was selected for an at-large slot by board vote. - Design Review Board: Commissioners used paper ballots to select candidates for citizen and professional seats; Candace Holland won a contested seat after a roll-call decision. - Planning Commission and other advisory boards: The board processed multiple district-specific nominations and at-large selections; several ballots resulted in plurality winners or required tie-break action and staff said they will continue targeted recruitment where applications were old or incomplete. - Tourism Development Council (TDC) municipal seat: The board approved the city of Defuniak Springs’ nomination of City Council Member Josh Sconyers to fill a municipal seat on the TDC.
Staff noted some applications on file were more than 12 months old; commissioners asked staff to confirm continued interest before forwarding names and to clean up application records. County staff also said they are conducting targeted recruiting to ensure more applicants than vacancies for future cycles.
Why it matters: Advisory boards and commissions help the county set policy and provide local expertise on planning, library services, design review and tourism. Filling vacancies restores quorum capacity and resumes board work on pending matters. Several appointments were unanimous and the board approved ballots and nominations by roll-call where required.
What to watch: Staff will finalize appointment paperwork, notify appointees, and continue recruitment for remaining open seats. The county clerk will record and publish the official appointment lists and term dates.
