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Okaloosa County orders right-of-way inventory, asks Fort Walton Beach to refund disputed camera fines
Summary
Following staff analysis and a county attorney opinion that at least one school-zone camera sits in county right-of-way, the board ordered a comprehensive right-of-way and camera inventory, began talks with Fort Walton Beach about transferring segments, and formally requested the city refund fines tied to the camera.
Okaloosa County commissioners directed staff to compile a comprehensive inventory of county rights-of-way and to map existing speed and red-light cameras across the county after staff and legal review revealed uncertainty about ownership of segments of Hollywood Boulevard where cameras were operating.
County legal staff told the board that the local government entity owning and maintaining a roadway must authorize placement of school-zone speed cameras. County counsel said one camera—the Fort Walton Beach High School/Edwins Elementary camera located on a corridor the county believes is within its right-of-way—was placed without county authorization and therefore did not comply with Florida statutory requirements.
"Since that camera is placed in a county roadway, it should have been the county that issues those," the county attorney said, concluding the placement and operation did not comply with the Florida statutes. Commissioners asked staff to obtain title-search estimates and examine maintenance records to resolve ownership questions.
The board approved three steps: (1) a comprehensive county right-of-way inventory and countywide camera mapping to identify other cross-jurisdictional installations; (2) staff outreach to the City of Fort Walton Beach to discuss transferring ownership and maintenance of identified Hollywood Boulevard segments (with a draft resolution to be prepared if appropriate); and (3) a formal request to the city asking that fines collected from the camera the county believes was improperly placed be refunded to those who paid them. Chairman Goodwin framed the refund request as a plea on behalf of affected unincorporated residents: "Please, Fort Walton Beach, those fees and fines that you have collected from the camera at Fort Walton Beach High School, please refund those to those who have paid them," he said.
Commissioners repeatedly emphasized they did not intend to initiate litigation immediately but sought a cooperative, good-faith resolution while staff completes the inventory and title work.
