Reflecting on 2023: Okaloosa County's growth, challenges and future prospects

As 2023 came to a close, we here at the Northwest Florida Daily News wanted to give readers a look back on a year that was.

From Rice's whales to job growth and more, we had the chance to sit down with County Commissioner Trey Goodwin to get his thoughts on the past year while looking ahead to 2024.

Describing 2023 in one phrase

"Phenomenal growth," said Goodwin.

His feeling stems from various factors, most notably a growing population base driven by military personnel and others moving in to the area.

Goodwin highlighted the efforts to enhance the tourism experience, highlighted by initiatives such as the Tourist Development Department's "Little Adventures" concept.

"What we've seen in the investments toward building our local economic engine in Okaloosa County, employers in Okaloosa County can see it as a place to expand and relocate and we're seeing real good successes," said Goodwin.

Economic growth

At a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new addition to the Boeing facility in June, Goodwin said that the three pillars of the Okaloosa County economy are military, infrastructure and tourism.

Since that time, it was announced in July that the Shoal River Ranch Business Park acquired Central Moloney Inc. as the first developer to bring a manufacturing facility to the 10,500-acre gigasite.

In November, the county granted a U.S. Navy contractor with the code name "Project Sound" a six-year tax exemption with the hopes that a manufacturing facility could bring additional growth to an already booming economic area in northern Okaloosa County.

Combined, each of the new additions will provide Okaloosa County with 524 new, high-paying jobs.

Goodwin touched on the future development in the northern end of the county and how he believes there is a lot of opportunity in that area.

"I think (northern Okaloosa County) is really a resource in Okaloosa County," Goodwin said. "I think that we're going to see development over the next five-, 10- or 20-year time periods in a significant way."

Rice's Whales

At a special meeting in July, Goodwin, along with Commissioners Paul Mixon, Mel Ponder and Carolyn Ketchel, first showed their disapproval over a proposed NOAA initiative that would implement a 10-knot speed limit along with other possible restrictions in a designated area that encompassed a vast area of the Gulf of Mexico.

In October, the board approved a letter written by county staff that vehemently opposed the implementation of the slow down zone, noting that the proposed rule had "serious flaws due to limited availability of data and inadequate interpretation of the data that is available."

Just a few weeks later, NOAA announced that the request for the vessel slowdown zone was rejected. The agency noted that it would prioritize "other conservation actions for Rice's Whales."

In a statement from Goodwin following the decision, he praised NOAA for its restraint and wisdom over "draconian regulation."

Looking back on the story now, a couple months removed from the situation, Goodwin said the ordeal emphasized the importance of local government vigilance in regard to the actions of other government entities.

"I think the county is always mindful of protecting our natural resources but at the same time we have to be mindful that the military testing mission and the fishing and tourism industry in Okaloosa County are vital," said Goodwin. "We just don't have the same quality of life if we put those two things in peril."

Biggest win for Okaloosa County in 2023?

While Goodwin stated that he was proud of multiple accomplishments of the board for the citizens of Okaloosa County, the one that stood out was the county's acquisition of the Northwest Florida Fairgrounds.

The three-year process over the future of the fairgrounds ended on June 27 as the county closed on the $4.05 million, 20.42-acre property, which was purchased with funds from the expanded Okaloosa County bed tax. That tax was recently expanded to include more parts of the county.

"I think there's a huge win baked into this acquisition of the fairgrounds," said Goodwin. "I think that people who live in Okaloosa County are going to be really happy with the result."

On Oct. 25, Goodwin along with Jennifer Adams, who is the director of tourist development, gave local media members a tour of the property and provided insights on how leaders can use the fairgrounds in the future. To explore those ideas, the board formed a committee of seven members to ensure the fairgrounds have a bright future.

Biggest loss for Okaloosa County in 2023?

One of the most highly debated stories of 2023 came at the last board meeting of the year, during a conversation about the proposed location of a new Okaloosa County Jail.

On Nov. 30, county officials released the upcoming meeting agenda to the public. Among the scheduled items was a planned discussion and possible vote on siting the new jail on a 68-acre plot a couple miles northeast of Crestview, directly on Highway 90.

"I think this was one of those situations where we got running a little bit too fast and stumbled," Commissioner Nathan Boyles said during the Dec. 5 meeting.

Over that weekend, the public pushback commenced. In response, the agenda item was changed from a discussion of the possible purchase of the land to what the other uses of the property would be.

Toward the end of a very long discussion, Commissioner Mixon advocated for establishing a site selection committee for a new jail. The Board is expected to receive information on the planned committee at its Jan. 2 meeting.

Goodwin acknowledged that the jail issue is potentially going to be one of the biggest issues the county will face in 2024. It is an issue that the county must address, he said.

Goodwin sees two pathways on moving forward. The first option includes improvements to the current facility. The second is relocation.

"Frankly, I'm not excited about having to pay for it," said Goodwin. "I don't think any of our constituents that pay property taxes are excited about having to pay for it, but it's something we have to face."

"This is kind of the non-fun, hard work we have to do, and the jail falls in that category," he added. "But we have to have an adequate jail, we have to have one that is suitable for the people that are incarcerated there. We also have to have one that's safe for the people that work there."

Continuing the momentum

As Goodwin reflected on the issues faced by the Okaloosa County Commission in 2023, he also looked ahead to 2024.

At the Dec. 5 meeting, the role of chairman was transferred from Goodwin to Commission Mixon. Goodwin is confident that under Mixon's leadership, the commission will continue the momentum that was built in 2023.

"We've got a very robust county," said Goodwin. "That comes with challenges, but we have the chance to really change this county for the betterment of the future. In the end, I think we're heading in the right direction. I think we're going to stay on that track."

"I'm very honored to be able to have served for two plus terms. I'm extremely honored to have been allowed by my fellow commissioners to serve as chair twice. I got to speak to an elementary school not too long ago during a career day and I kind of saw their perspective when I introduced them to what my job was. I pointed out to the that I have over 200,000 bosses and that's really how I look at it. I have 200,000 people that I'm answerable to what I do, and I work for them," he said.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: A Year That Was: A Recap of Okaloosa County in 2023.