CRESTVIEW — Crestview’s City Council voted Jan. 12 to authorize up to $30 million in bond financing through the Florida Municipal Loan Council to fund major capital projects, including renovations to Fire Station No. 3 and construction of a new public works complex, as city leaders begin a long-term facilities upgrade plan without raising property taxes.
The council approved Resolution 2026-09 on a 3-0 vote, with two members absent, after City Manager Jessica Leavins said the borrowing would be repaid using non-ad valorem revenues rather than property taxes and would provide flexibility to finance multiple projects over time.
“This plan that is before you is the plan that we discussed back in the summertime that does not include any changes to the ad valorem rate,” Leavins told council members. “These are non-ad valorem dollars that will be repaying this bond.”
Leavins said the $30 million amount is a “not to exceed” cap and does not require the city to borrow the full amount. The resolution authorizes the city to enter into a loan agreement with the Florida Municipal Loan Council.
Councilman Shannon Hayes backed the resolution, saying the city should act now rather than wait for inflation to increase costs.
“If you wait till later, you’re going to pay more,” Hayes said. “That’s just regardless inflation.”
Mayor Pro Tem Doug Capps also supported the measure, describing it as the first step in a longer sequence of replacing and upgrading aging city facilities.
“This is the first domino,” Capps said.
Leavins said the bond financing would cover three main projects: renovations to Fire Station No. 3, construction of a new public works complex, and reimbursement to the city for property acquisition tied to the public works site.
“The bond amount is $30 million and that includes three projects,” Leavins said. “The fire station, three, remodel a new public works complex, and reimburse the city for the purchase of the ROC.”
The ROC is the shorthand given to the Central Baptist Church’s Recreational Outreach Center. With the purchase, the city could take control of the facilities’ gym and pool space.
It is important to note that Okaloosa County Commissioner Paul Mixon is the lead pastor of Central Baptist, and, according to the Okaloosa County Property Appraiser’s Office, the property’s value is $942,604.
In the resolution, it does not specify how much of the $30 million will be used for any given project. Mid Bay News has reached out to Crestview city officials for more information and is awaiting their response.
Leavins said the new public works complex would be more than a single building and would include infrastructure needed to support fleet and utility operations, such as parking, fuel storage, and a fleet shop.
“It’s not just a building,” Leavins said. “It will be a full complex.”
Leavins traced the need for upgrades back to a 2018 facility study that identified critical weaknesses in city buildings, including vulnerabilities in the police station and equipment failures at Fire Station No. 3.
“We found out that our police station, which holds all the evidence, wouldn’t withstand a very strong hurricane,” she said. “We found our first problems in station three, where we had some serious generator issues.”
She said Crestview has outgrown its current public works site on U.S. Highway 85, which she described as dating back to the 1950s, forcing the city to use multiple properties to store vehicles and equipment.
Hayes also thanked staff for preparing the extensive loan documents required for the financing.
“It’s like 200 pages,” Hayes said. “Our staff had to look at every page and understand through the lawyer what they’re talking about.”
After the resolution was read into the record, Capps made the motion to approve, and Hayes seconded it. Mayor JB Whitten called for the vote, and the resolution passed without further discussion.
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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