City and county joining forces to cut costs

The city of Destin is facing the same budget problems most government agencies are going through in the current economy, but a new partnership could help relieve some of the strain.

City and county leaders from across Okaloosa County have met several times this year to discuss ways they can work together to save money. The meetings have progressed to the point where the local government agencies are starting to adopt some of the changes.

The Fort Walton Beach City Council was the first agency to approve a mutual aid agreement last month to provide support for building code inspections and building plan reviews with the city of Destin and Okaloosa County. The Destin City Council will vote on the mutual aid agreement at their Monday meeting at 6 p.m., while Okaloosa County Commissioners are expected make the final decision at their July 21 meeting.

“It’s been really a positive atmosphere,” said County Administrator Jim Curry of the recent meetings with local government leaders. “The economic times that we’re all dealing with, the cuts, have contributed to that. There’s nothing like a real strong financial incentive to have us come in and try to figure out how we can work better and more efficiently because we really don’t have a choice.”

Other areas the government agencies are looking to partner to save money include shared purchasing and a services database.