Credit City of Fort Walton Beach
There are three open seats on the Fort Walton Beach City Council, and twelve candidates vying for votes in the March 9 municipal election.
Tuesday evening, they all got a chance to speak at a moderated forum hosted by the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce.
Current council members Nic Allegretto and David Schmidt are running for re-election alongside 10 new faces: Gloria DeBerry, Jason Floyd, Sean Murphy, Debra Riley, Brad Roehrig, Michael Rojas, Travis Smith, Gareth Stearns, Sonya Vazquez, and Payne Walker.
“I see something broken and I want to fix it,” said auto dealer Travis Smith. “I want to be a voice for the people, which I think is lacking (in the city).”
As 2020 comes to a close, the Daily News is taking a look back at some of the stories that shaped the year.
In a year when many families and businesses were feeling the crush of a COVID-19-depressed economy, Okaloosa County voters still found room in their hearts and wallets to support local children.
During the general election in November, 55% of voters supported a referendum for a 10-year half-cent sales tax initiative to benefit county schools.
The sales tax will take effect Jan. 1. During its lifetime, it is estimated to generate about $256 million to benefit the School District’s capital needs, such as repairs to school roofs, the replacement of portable classrooms with brick-and-mortar ones and upgrades to the district’s aging bus fleet.