Walton Commissioners Discuss Audits, Parks and Signs

Summary

The Walton County Board of County Commissioners held its September business meeting, recognizing the DeFuniak Springs Little League All-Star team, Walton Academy graduates and the county Purchasing Department, then approved a resolution marking September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and agreed to stop using the phrase or a lesser category in future land-use notices. The board approved memorandums of understanding with the Walton County Fair Association for facility use and emergency operations, authorized initial design work on part of the North Walton Sports Complex, increased the Eagle Springs Golf Course maintenance building contract by $9,273, and approved a $250,537.50 purchase order for playground upgrades at Wee Care Park. Commissioners declined a plan to hand over 19 county-owned parcels within Oakwood Lake Estates Unit 7 to Habitat for Humanity, opting instead for Parks and Recreation to continue maintaining them, and approved a $40,800 landscaping contract for U.S. Highway 98 as well as plans to seek bids for six new county gateway signs. They also approved a $3,668,000 Fiscal Year 2026 budget amendment for self-insurance funds and a $15,209,174 amendment tied to a Tourist Development Fund property purchase, discussed combining operational and forensic audits, funded a $130,000 sports field and pickleball court at Ghentsville Park, approved $35,000 for the Emerald Coast Council on Aging, $10,000 for 30A Cats, and other discretionary spending requests, while voting down the San Roy Road right-of-way abandonment request.