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Holmes commissioners set priorities for delegation meeting, press DOT on unfunded road phases
Summary
Ahead of a Jan. 7 delegation meeting and February legislative deadlines, Holmes County identified priority projects — jail expansion, recreational upgrades (including Prosperity Park lights) and multiple road projects including SR 173 — and scheduled a workshop to finalize requests.
Holmes County commissioners used Wednesday’s meeting to shape requests for the county’s legislative delegation and to press the Florida Department of Transportation for clarity on why multi-phase road work has gone unfunded.
A legislative representative told the board the county will host a delegation meeting Jan. 7 and that senate and house submission deadlines fall roughly on Feb. 10 and Feb. 7. He advised commissioners to identify projects with broad return on investment — public safety, hardening against natural disasters and projects that benefit the most residents — and suggested prioritizing a short list for the delegation to champion in Tallahassee.
Commissioners discussed submitting three top requests: an engineering- and design-heavy jail expansion, countywide recreational upgrades (including lighting and bathroom facilities at Prosperity Park), and a second recreational project. The board moved to approve submitting those projects and asked staff for project descriptions, budgets and supporting documentation to present on Jan. 7.
On transportation, commissioners reviewed recent DOT applications and asked staff to follow up with DOT about why certain multi-phase projects (notably SR 173 and phases of SR 179/177) were not funded despite earlier approvals for phase 1. Engineering and planning staff recommended phasing where appropriate and advised commissioners to consider appropriations or member-project requests if DOT funding remains unavailable. The board scheduled a workshop tied to the delegation meeting to finalize the capital-improvement list and prioritize road projects before the submission deadlines.
