By DOTTY NIST
The economy, health care, water resources, the environment, and public confidence in county government were major elements in strategic goals recently set by the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC).
The BCC has adopted a list of goals that had been developed through a strategic planning process conducted on Feb. 11 and 12. The decision took place at the Feb. 26 regular BCC meeting at the Walton County Courthouse in DeFuniak Springs.
The goals follow:
“Improve the economy of Walton County through the development of a master plan for the 331 corridor, completion of required infrastructure to Mossy Head, execution of a marketing plan and completing a target market analysis for the Mossy Head Industrial Park and diversifying the local economy by attracting new and growing existing businesses.
Improve the quality of life in Walton County by completing an analysis of options for broader health care access countywide and improving countywide water quality by developing and instituting a comprehensive water resource action plan.
Preserve and enhance the physical environment of Walton County.
Continue building confidence in Walton County government through sound financial management, the development of cost/benefit options for road maintenance and reviewing and instituting new policies and procedures for the maintenance of county owned facilities and equipment.”
District 4 Commissioner Sara Comander commented on the set of goals, saying that they were good, but that she thought the commission needed to expand on them. She gave the other commissioners a copy of Leon County’s strategic goals, which were more detailed, for comparison. “We need to look long term,” she urged.
“Were we not expecting the county administrator to come back with a game plan that’s measurable?” District 3 Commissioner Bill Imfeld asked. The new county administrator, Robert Halfill was scheduled to come on board on March 1.
“It’s just a start of what you do,” said Gerry Demers, interim county administrator, speaking of the set of goals.
Comander suggested a follow-up workshop on strategic goals later in the year.
Demers said the goals would be used in the creation of a budget for the new fiscal year, a process that would begin soon.