🏟️ Council greenlights $7.5M loan for Preston Hood Athletic Complex expansion
🗳️ NAACP proposal prompts study on hybrid city government and neighborhood representation
📜 Charter amendments move toward 2026 ballot, including term limits and budget cap repeal
FORT WALTON BEACH — From funding an expanding athletic complex to ballot referendums, the Fort Walton Beach City Council tackled a myriad of issues at their regular city council meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 28.
Here is what you need to know.
The Fort Walton Beach City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a $7.5 million, 15-year bank loan to finance the long-awaited 12-acre expansion of the Preston Hood Athletic Complex, selecting Gum Creek Farms, Inc. of DeFuniak Springs as the project’s contractor for $7.06 million.
Finance Director Nicole Nabors said the project became financially feasible earlier Tuesday when the Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council (TDC) agreed to provide $400,000 in annual funding toward the loan payments. Combined with $300,000 in yearly savings from the early payoff of an irrigation loan, the city will cover the estimated $710,000 in annual debt service.
Nabors recommended a bank loan over a public bond issue, citing lower issuance costs, faster processing and favorable interest rates. The 15-year term will save the city more than $1 million in interest compared to a 20-year option.
The loan amount was rounded up to $7.5 million to cover potential change orders, furniture and supplies upon completion of construction.
Under the financing agreement, the TDC will fund four-sevenths of the annual payment, or $400,000, whichever is less. If TDC funding ends, the debt service would shift to the city’s general fund.
Nabors said the plan provides long-term stability while ensuring the facility continues to host tourism-related tournaments.
Councilman Bryce Jeter thanked staff for securing TDC support, calling it a “team effort.” The council also authorized City Manager Jason Davis to approve change orders up to 10 percent of the bid amount to streamline construction.
The 12-acre expansion site at 203 Hollywood Boulevard NW, formerly the city’s Field Office Complex, will include a 2,000-square-foot recreation operations building, new restrooms, pickleball courts, multi-purpose turf fields, and about 200 parking spaces.
Public Works Director Daniel Payne said the improvements will alleviate parking congestion and enhance the facility for residents and visitors alike.
Construction is expected to begin once financing documents are finalized, with a presentation from PFM Financial Advisors LLC scheduled for Nov. 18.
The Fort Walton Beach City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday night to form a study group to explore a possible shift to a hybrid form of government — a change proposed by the local branch of the NAACP, which says it would strengthen representation for residents across the city’s neighborhoods.
The proposal, presented by Sabu Williams, president of the NAACP Okaloosa County Branch, calls for examining a system that blends district-based and at-large council seats. Currently, all seven council members and the mayor are elected citywide, a structure critics say can leave some areas without direct representation.
“Our proposal is not about race or party; rather, it is about representation,” Williams told the council.
Williams believes the change would allow residents to have a council member accountable to their specific area while maintaining the city’s professional management structure through an appointed city manager.
One configuration under consideration would include four district-based seats and three at-large seats, in addition to a mayor elected citywide. Williams emphasized that the study group would determine the details.
Crestview adopted a hybrid council structure in 2018, and is the only municipality in Okaloosa County to have that system.
Mayor Nic Allegretto acknowledged that the current at-large system has its limits, noting that most council members live in the same part of the city.
“Of the eight of us that normally sit up here, six of us live in the same neighborhood,” he said.
Allegretto used former Councilmember Kirby Locklear, who represented the Kenwood area, as an example of the value of neighborhood-based representation.
While the mayor raised concerns about enforcing residency requirements, he said the concept warranted further discussion. Williams said the NAACP had considered launching a petition to place the question on the ballot but opted to pursue collaboration with city leaders instead.
The council approved a motion by Councilmember David Schmidt to work with the NAACP in forming the study group, with Councilmember Debi Riley seconding.
The group will include neutral experts and hold community workshops before drafting potential charter changes. No timeline was set for when recommendations will be presented, but Williams presented an 18-month timeline that would end with the proposal being placed on a ballot.
The Fort Walton Beach City Council voted Tuesday to advance a slate of proposed amendments to the city charter, including measures addressing term limits, vacancies, compensation for elected officials and the repeal of the city’s 3 percent budget cap. The amendments will appear on the March 2026 ballot pending final approval later this year.
City Attorney Jeff Burns presented the proposed referendums, explaining that each will return for first reading in November and final reading in December before being sent to voters. He also asked council members to provide input on the order of ballot questions, which will be finalized next month.
“These are not in the final order for the ballot yet,” Burns said. “Once we come back in November, we’ll need to have the actual charter amendment numbers and question order set.”
One of the amendments consolidates revisions to five charter sections, clarifying the nonpartisan nature of council seats, standardizing procedures for vacancies and updating term limit provisions. It also grants the city greater flexibility in setting candidate filing fees.
The measure passed unanimously after Councilmembers Jeter and Merrell moved to approve it.
A separate amendment concerning council meetings and governance eliminates language that had allowed members to excuse each other for absences, aligning attendance rules with state law.
“This keeps council from having to play Judge Judy with each other,” Jeter said. The measure passed 6–0.
The council also approved an “administrative efficiency” amendment that adjusts sections defining the city manager’s duties and other administrative processes.
Burns said the proposal reflects recommendations from the Charter Review Commission and “makes the manager’s role easier and clearer.” That measure passed 5–1, with Councilwoman Gloria DeBerry voting against it.
Debate intensified over a proposal to set the compensation of the council and the mayor. The original version allowed officials to choose either a monthly pay of $1,000 for council members and $2,000 for the mayor, or city-provided health insurance.
Councilwoman Riley sought to change the wording to permit both, but her motion failed 2–4.
“I think if we put this on the ballot as both pay and insurance, it’s not going to be received well by the public,” Merrell said.
The council later approved the original “either/or” version 4–2.
The final measure simplifies the ballot language to repeal Section 35, which caps annual general fund expenditure growth at 3 percent.
Burns and Nabors revised the text to make it “clearer for voters.” That proposal passed 4–2, with Jeter and Riley voting against it.
Before moving on, the council voted 6–0 to accept Burns’s recommendation for ballot order, placing the Election Day amendment first, followed by the technical, compensation and budget-related questions.
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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