The walton county jail

The Walton County Jail.

I hope the Board of County Commissioners doesn't hand over the jail keys to the Sheriff's Office. He manages to go over budget on everything he touches. I understand Adkinson's expansion of the emergency operations center complete with a dozen in wall plasma televisions and thousand dollar chairs is about a half-million over the initial cost estimate. I guess us taxpayers would serve the sentence of such a bonehead decision by the lap dog administrator lyle z. and the county commissioners.

Having served in a comm center for 8 years and watching the nickel and diming that goes on I would say you know nothing about that type of work.

You can complain about spending $1,000 on a chair but it is always better to buy quality. These chairs are used 24/7 365 and there is nothing more frustrating than having to go in and sit in a broken chair.

On the other hand, I have no idea what the need is for all of the big screen tv's but I do know that comm centers are evolving in their design. More monitors and responsibilities are being added.

I suggest you go and sit in the comm center on a Friday or Saturday night. You will be amazed at the amount of activity and maybe you'll earn a little respect for those who are first to answer the public's call for help.

Having served in a comm center for 8 years and watching the nickel and diming that goes on I would say you know nothing about that type of work.

You can complain about spending $1,000 on a chair but it is always better to buy quality. These chairs are used 24/7 365 and there is nothing more frustrating than having to go in and sit in a broken chair.

On the other hand, I have no idea what the need is for all of the big screen tv's but I do know that comm centers are evolving in their design. More monitors and responsibilities are being added.

I suggest you go and sit in the comm center on a Friday or Saturday night. You will be amazed at the amount of activity and maybe you'll earn a little respect for those who are first to answer the public's call for help.

Are they talking here about the Dispatch center or the EOC which you may find could be in 2 different rooms. The EOC is normally activated during declared emergencies, ie hurricanes and the like. So if they are spending a $1000 on a chair for a dispatcher who may be in it from 8 - 12 hours, no issue, but if it is for a short term non daily use then maybe a grand is a bit much. In the old EOC they had folding chairs.

I agree with the EOC not needing top of the line equipment.

The animals are running the farm here in Walton Co.
The "worst" economic period since the "Great Depression", add an Oil Spill Crisis to these terrible economic times. Result our "local" elected officials are "hell" bent on spending instead of putting a brake on killing the residential and business tax base.
(1). The Walton Co. Commission spends hundreds of thousands on having personal assistants for each commissioners. You'll find such madness in no other Fla. County.
(2). The South Walton Tourist Development Council spends hundreds of thousands on out-of-town public relations firms when it already spends tens-of-thousands on in-house employees who do the same job.
(3). The Walton Co. Sheriff's Office overly depends on "one-year" state and federal grants. Big problem, us "taxpayers" are responsible for footing the bill after the grant ends and the local residents and business owners end up paying the salaries' of these new employees and programs brought in under these grants. Democrat Bureaucracy at its worst. It requires hundreds-of-thousands of extra local tax dollars.
As a Tea Party advocate, it's time to throw out any incumbant Walton County Commissioner and Walton Co. Sheriff who can't curb their spending appetite and advocates an outrageous double-digit property tax increase (22-percent) . The times' of free flowing money are over in Walton Co. like most places across the U.S. As their employer, let your elected officials know the job they are doing is "not" satisfactory and show them the door in the voter booth.

happydays32, I agree with some of what you say but it is my contention that a lot of it is dead wrong and shows a lack of understanding regarding our county.
First of all, I am not aware of more than one full time assistant per county commissioner. That one assistant is a necessity for answering citizen's inquiries. If there are more than one full time the matter should be looked into. Sara, for instance, has only one of which I'm aware.
While the TDC does spend money on out of state advertising and promotions, they do a lot of work locally as well. For example, every morning there is a truck that comes by the bottom of our walkover and picks up the trash that has been deposited by conciencious tourists and locals in their provided trash receptical. The TDC does a lot that is unnoticed by the populace as a whole.
Lastly, the operation of the sheriff's office is such a vast improvement over what it was prior to Mike Atkinson's election it is not worth talking about. He wants dispatch to be able to immediately communicate with all emergency response enities. Such is presently not the case even though we have 911 capability. Radios that operate on the same frequencies are a "must" for really sucessful emergency response and control.
I am also a very strong Tea Party Patriot advocate and want our tax dollars wisely spent. It is necessary to spend money in this day and age for government to be usefully functional. The best we can do is make sure we monitor and guide the spending of those dollars. We disagree on how Walton County is spending those dollars. I think, from everything I see, they do a pretty decent job. I do not agree, however, in the new proposed budget increasse voted for by four of the five present Commissioners.

happydays32, I agree with some of what you say but it is my contention that a lot of it is dead wrong and shows a lack of understanding regarding our county.
First of all, I am not aware of more than one full time assistant per county commissioner. That one assistant is a necessity for answering citizen's inquiries. If there are more than one full time the matter should be looked into. Sara, for instance, has only one of which I'm aware.
While the TDC does spend money on out of state advertising and promotions, they do a lot of work locally as well. For example, every morning there is a truck that comes by the bottom of our walkover and picks up the trash that has been deposited by conciencious tourists and locals in their provided trash receptical. The TDC does a lot that is unnoticed by the populace as a whole.
Lastly, the operation of the sheriff's office is such a vast improvement over what it was prior to Mike Atkinson's election it is not worth talking about. He wants dispatch to be able to immediately communicate with all emergency response enities. Such is presently not the case even though we have 911 capability. Radios that operate on the same frequencies are a "must" for really sucessful emergency response and control.
I am also a very strong Tea Party Patriot advocate and want our tax dollars wisely spent. It is necessary to spend money in this day and age for government to be usefully functional. The best we can do is make sure we monitor and guide the spending of those dollars. We disagree on how Walton County is spending those dollars. I think, from everything I see, they do a pretty decent job. I do not agree, however, in the new proposed budget increasse voted for by four of the five present Commissioners.

mr. Brannon has two as well as Ms Jones

mr. Brannon has two as well as Ms Jones

Thank you. I did not know that. I could understand one part time to fill in when the full time assistant and commissioner is unavailable. Two full time, not so much.

2 full time assistants for someone who is doing a salaried (part time with massive benefits) job seems a bit extreme.

Would LOVE to know why they need that much help and if it is 100% official county business.

Between email, answering machines, other staff, and cell phones I would think 1 assistant is plenty. People run huge businesses with only 1 assistant.

2 full time assistants for someone who is doing a salaried (part time with massive benefits) job seems a bit extreme.

Would LOVE to know why they need that much help and if it is 100% official county business.

Between email, answering machines, other staff, and cell phones I would think 1 assistant is plenty. People run huge businesses with only 1 assistant.

Unless things have changed Okaloosa County has one office and one assistant for all five commissioners. They handle almost three times the constituents as Walton. Go figure. Ms. Commander and Mr. Brannon share the same building and have three assistants between them. Is this necessary? Why don't one or both of them propose to consolidate and save money?

Unless things have changed Okaloosa County has one office and one assistant for all five commissioners. They handle almost three times the constituents as Walton. Go figure. Ms. Commander and Mr. Brannon share the same building and have three assistants between them. Is this necessary? Why don't one or both of them propose to consolidate and save money?

Sara has one assistance and Scott has two. While it is true that three work in the building, they are not shared that I am aware of. The last time I was in there, the door between the offices was closed and locked.

As a Tea Party advocate, it's time to throw out any incumbant Walton County Commissioner and Walton Co. Sheriff who can't curb their spending appetite and advocates an outrageous double-digit property tax increase (22-percent) . The times' of free flowing money are over in Walton Co. like most places across the U.S. As their employer, let your elected officials know the job they are doing is "not" satisfactory and show them the door in the voter booth.

The Walton County TEA Party Patriots have endorsed Sara Comander. Are you not part of that organization?

The Sheriff cut his budget around a million dollars if I am remembering correctly.

Wrobert, are you sure about WCSO budget, I heard 650k overbudget and then a 650k cut this year, sounds like a loan being repaid.
Congrats, I suppose are in order, I hear you are running Sara's campaign.

Wrobert, are you sure about WCSO budget, I heard 650k overbudget and then a 650k cut this year, sounds like a loan being repaid.
Congrats, I suppose are in order, I hear you are running Sara's campaign.

More politricks from our elected officials.

I don't know about that.

Wrobert, are you sure about WCSO budget, I heard 650k overbudget and then a 650k cut this year, sounds like a loan being repaid.
Congrats, I suppose are in order, I hear you are running Sara's campaign.

Have not spoken to Mike about it, just going by what he said at the budget hearing and what I could read on the charts.

I am working for Sara's campaign. Being a full time commissioner keeps her pretty busy and there is a lot of running around, picking stuff up, dropping things in the mail, coordinating events that has to be done and I offered to assist. I had forgotten how much work was involved in this stuff though.

Have not spoken to Mike about it, just going by what he said at the budget hearing and what I could read on the charts.

I am working for Sara's campaign. Being a full time commissioner keeps her pretty busy and there is a lot of running around, picking stuff up, dropping things in the mail, coordinating events that has to be done and I offered to assist. I had forgotten how much work was involved in this stuff though.

Good for you, wrobert. She, IMO, is the one candidate who shouldn't have an opponent and she has two. Something smell as far as I'm concerned. If you need any help, give me a call. I'm available.

They got a Grant for the new chairs

They got a Grant for the new chairs

Grant money is still taxpayer money. It kills me that some people think that money fell off a tree or something. Somebody had to pay a tax to come up with that money. It should be managed just as careful as all other taxpayer money.

Your point is well taken in regard to it being taxpayer money and it should be monitored. You failed to mention one very important point, however. If the county does not apply for and receive grant monies, some other county will and receive it. Some grants are competitive, others are not, but all are monies that will be released to someone. I have no idea how the grant system began and will not defend it or attack it but it is what it is and it does make federal and state money available to those enities below them. Having been involved in EMS grant writing for approximately 5 years it is no fun particularly when they are competitive grants as EMS grants were.

Your point is well taken in regard to it being taxpayer money and it should be monitored. You failed to mention one very important point, however. If the county does not apply for and receive grant monies, some other county will and receive it. Some grants are competitive, others are not, but all are monies that will be released to someone. I have no idea how the grant system began and will not defend it or attack it but it is what it is and it does make federal and state money available to those enities below them. Having been involved in EMS grant writing for approximately 5 years it is no fun particularly when they are competitive grants as EMS grants were.

Grants are terrible policy, they mask the true cost of things and are used by one entity to persuade another to do something they would not otherwise do. I have no problem with competing for a grant for an item I would purchase anyways but taking grants just for the sake of "getting ours" is a huge mistake. Nevertheless, grant money is a product of a tax on someone somewhere and needs to be treated as carefully as any other tax funds.

I hope the Board of County Commissioners doesn't hand over the jail keys to the Sheriff's Office. He manages to go over budget on everything he touches. I understand Adkinson's expansion of the emergency operations center complete with a dozen in wall plasma televisions and thousand dollar chairs is about a half-million over the initial cost estimate. I guess us taxpayers would serve the sentence of such a bonehead decision by the lap dog administrator lyle z. and the county commissioners.

You are drive by poster spouting off numbers with no facts and all of this is public record. So you expect me to believe that Mike Adkinson would stand up and publicly speak to how much money he is saving, reduce the budget of his department, the whole time having gone over this project by a half million dollars.

You, my friend, are a hoot!!!

And obviously a digruntled person of some sort with the professional manner that Sheriff Adkinson and Captain Barker are conducting business.

They got a Grant for the new chairs

First Adkinson and Barker squeak when they walk they are so darn tight. And it does not matter whose money it is. I have dealt with Adkinson on money before and the man is tight.

Second, and I may very well be wrong here, but if memory is working, Barker got the funding to do this from a fund in Tallahassee that we all pay into via our cell phones for 911 service and the only way to get those dollars back into your county is to apply for them, the projects are scored, and things are funded until the dollars run out. Technically a grant, but not in the sense that we are getting dollars from other areas, we are just getting our dollars back.

Third, if someone is going to have my rear in a chair for eight hours, it better be a nice one and I do not care what it cost. But again, all od this is ridiculous when all that has to be done is call up there they will go over what they did and show you the bills.

Fourth, plasma monitors are cheap. $600 for a 50" is pretty common. No reason whatsoever that all information available can now be displayed where everyone can see it, the life they save may be YOURS!

Grants are terrible policy, they mask the true cost of things and are used by one entity to persuade another to do something they would not otherwise do. I have no problem with competing for a grant for an item I would purchase anyways but taking grants just for the sake of "getting ours" is a huge mistake. Nevertheless, grant money is a product of a tax on someone somewhere and needs to be treated as carefully as any other tax funds.

I won't even begin to argue with you about grants being terrible policy. It is something that governments have established to maintain control over lesser governments and individuals granted grant monies. Where we disagree is on the fact that it is our tax money, not necessarily some one else's, and we should access all of it we need. If others see fit not to apply for grant funds, so be it, but I don't want Walton County left in the lurch. Good grant writers are worth their weight in gold, literally. We may not like the system but that is the way it is until someone changes it.

I won't even begin to argue with you about grants being terrible policy. It is something that governments have established to maintain control over lesser governments and individuals granted grant monies. Where we disagree is on the fact that it is our tax money, not necessarily some one else's, and we should access all of it we need. If others see fit not to apply for grant funds, so be it, but I don't want Walton County left in the lurch. Good grant writers are worth their weight in gold, literally. We may not like the system but that is the way it is until someone changes it.

I don't disagree with getting what we need to help us do what we would do anyways. But I disagree with wasting one penny of tax money wherever it comes from.
Really grants are nothing more than government welfare and is designed to serve the same purpose welfare does on individuals.