Commissioners approve consent items; donation of bulldozer approved with recusal and Destin Fire reimbursement tabled

The Okaloosa County Commission on Feb. 3 approved its consent agenda after pulling two items for discussion and separate votes.

Commissioners discussed Item 14, a donation of a county bulldozer to a nonprofit (identified in the packet as Triple R Ministries). Commissioner Mixon disclosed he serves on the nonprofit’s executive board and recused himself from the vote. County staff said the bulldozer "has a blown engine" and "has no value to the county," and described the donation process as consistent with the county’s surplus-equipment policy. After discussion, the board approved the donation; the chair recorded the motion as passing "4 to 0" with Commissioner Mixon abstaining.

Item 25 requested approval to reimburse public-safety expenditures from tourist-development tax revenues. Commissioner Mixon asked that Tourist Development return with an in-depth comparative analysis after noting the Destin Fire Control District’s operational reimbursement in the packet was substantially larger than the county beach safety and sheriff portions. Commissioners voted to approve reimbursements for beach safety and the sheriff’s office and to table the Destin Fire portion until additional explanations are provided by Tourist Development staff.

The board recorded both votes and instructed staff to provide further comparative accounting for the Destin Fire request when it returns to the board.