Citizens Oversight Committee says sales-surtax projects progressing; committee favorably inclined to renewal

Jason Belcher, a member of the Citizens Oversight Committee, told the Okaloosa County School Board on the morning of the workshop that the committee is generally pleased with progress on projects funded by the district’s half-cent sales surtax but urged attention to completing planned work within the ordinance’s first 10-year term.

“The general consensus from the members is we’re very pleased with the way things are going,” Belcher said. He added a caution that the committee wants “bringing everything to completion, making sure in the first 10 years that we meet all the objectives of the ordinance.”

Belcher told the board the committee discussed the effect of inflation on surtax proceeds and noted members want assurance the district can finish the planned projects without creating budget shortfalls. He said one newer member based in Crestview needed additional briefing on how projects were selected and overseen; Grant Meyer has spent time explaining the contracts, budgets and outside reviews that shaped the initial project list.

Belcher said most committee members “would like to see the ordinance extended” once it is appropriate to begin that public conversation. He described outreach options the committee has considered, including occasional on-site committee meetings at school locations to see completed or ongoing work and to hear principals describe local impacts.

Board members thanked Belcher and the committee for their oversight; no board vote or formal action on renewal occurred during the workshop.