After defending their handling of the Tourist Development Council scandal to state lawmakers twice in the past month, Okaloosa County Commissioners say it’s unclear whether they will be summoned back to Tallahassee.
Commission Chairman Don Amunds said Wednesday the board still has a significant amount of hard work ahead.
“We’re not done,” he said. “We’re going to continue to fix these problems.”
Several commissioners and former and current members of the TDC appeared before the state’s Joint Legislative Auditing Committee on Monday for a three-hour meeting.
Lawmakers asked detailed questions about findings in the auditor general’s final report of an audit of the County Commission and the TDC. They also questioned officials about former tourism head Mark Bellinger’s mismanagement of millions of dollars in bed tax money and BP oil spill grants.
Amunds said the scrutiny was understandable.
“We’re taking everything Tallahassee said into consideration,” he said. “They had valid points and we’re taking it to heart. ... I think we have to increase our checks and balances.”
Lawmakers wanted to make sure commissioners were “not just going through the motions” and were initiating real changes to their policies and procedures, Amunds added.
Since early February, the board has put in place a plan that calls for:
- A litigation strategy to target companies or individuals who might have received county bed tax or BP grant funds improperly;
- Further review of TDC policies and procedures;
- A new compliance officer who will work at the TDC to ensure bed tax money is being spent according to county ordinances and state law;
- A mandatory training program for all members of county volunteer boards; and
- Asking the Sheriff's Office to provide access to the materials obtained during its criminal investigation of the TDC scandal.
Another initiative will include an internal review of the role county employees might have played in the Bellinger’s fraud scheme.
County Administrator Jim Curry said he and his staff are using the auditor general’s final report as a guide in that process.
“We are going through those findings to try to identify if there are any staff members who took an action … that’s inappropriate and needs to be addressed,” he added. “That is certainly something we are doing.”
County Commissioner Wayne Harris said now that the county has the green light from Sheriff Larry Ashley to complete its internal investigation, it can examine employees’ actions.
“If necessary, if we need to do some things, we will,” he said. “Now it’s a matter of administrative and disciplinary action. We have to see if there is any negligence or incompetence in the county.”
One of most recent changes came Tuesday when commissioners approved a new selection process to re-seat the TDC.
The county will accept applications from county residents interested in serving through March 22. A selection committee comprised of County Commissioner Kelly Windes, Dan O’Byrne, director of the tourist development department, and John Hofstad, public works director, will review the applications and present its recommendations to the commissioners at their April 2 meeting.
The board voted to set a one-term limit for TDC members, who also must be registered voters in the county. Commissioners also decided that previous TDC members — including those who were recently asked to resign — can reapply. Any county-appointed member currently on the TDC also will have to reapply if he or she wants to continue to serve.
Read suggested TDC membership selection letter to the Board »
Under state law, the TDC is comprised of:
- A county commissioner;
- Two elected city officials, with at least one from the “most populous municipality” in the area where bed taxes are levied; and
- Six people involved in the tourist industry and who have demonstrated an interest in tourist development. At least three but no more than four of those six must own or operate motels, hotels, RV parks or other tourist accommodations. At least two and no more than three shall be people who are involved in the tourist industry but who do not own or operate tourist accommodations.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari C. Barlow at 850-315-4438 or kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KariBnwfdn.