CONFLICT OF INTEREST OR NET BENEFIT? Rivals debate as council candidate throws his hat in the ring for TDC post

The man who would be a Destin City Councilman also wouldn’t mind heading up the Tourist Development Council.

In the midst of his campaign for a Destin City Council seat, beach restoration advocate Larry Hines has also thrown his hat in the ring to replace longtime director Darrell Jones.

“I think we need to focus on making decisions that improve our economy,” Hines said of his reason for applying for the job. “We need the jobs. We need the tourists to come back. And we need them to stay.”

But some locals argue that holding both positions would put too much influence in the hands of one man.

City Council candidate Larry Williges, who has served on the council before, said there is bound to be a conflict of interest when, on the one hand, your job as a city councilor is to take care of Destin, and on the other hand, your job as TDC director is to attract tourists countywide.

He said the TDC director position is almost like a political post, and the person that holds it is charged with allocating a lot of money.  

“This is just my opinion, but I don’t see how it couldn’t be a conflict,” Williges said. “One takes away from the other. I like him, and I would encourage him to select one.”

But Hines said he doesn’t think holding both positions would be a conflict of interest. He said he will accept both jobs if the people of Destin elect him to the City Council and the TDC panel in charge of choosing a new director selects him. He said TDC funds are pretty closely controlled as to how they can be spent, and they’re advertising is focused on the entire county.

“I can’t see a conflict of interest because the city of Destin and the TDC already work so closely together — as they should,” Hines said. “You have to rely on the integrity of the individual to do what’s best.”

And he think his experience, which includes years of championing beach restoration in Destin, 20 years in the U.S. Air Force running major programs with hundred million dollar budgets and many years as a private businessman, would be valuable to both councils. Hines said he is passionate about serving the city of Destin and making it a better place to live as well as working with the TDC — an agency that he acknowledged has a major impact on our local economy — to maintain Okaloosa County beaches and bring in tourists.

Another city council candidate, Cyron Marler, agreed that Hines heading up the TDC would not represent a conflict of interest. He said Hines is a big advocate of beach restoration, and he understands what he wants to do in the TDC, noting that Destin contributes a lot of money to the TDC in the form of bed taxes. According to Marler, Destinites have four excellent choices for the three open city council seats and one great candidate in the TDC director pool.

“I think it would be a positive thing for Destin to have more representation on the TDC,” Marler said. “I welcome it, and I wish Mr. Hines the best on the TDC thing.”

The TDC position, which will begin in May when Jones retires, has already drawn hundreds of candidates from around the country. The search committee charged with choosing the next director, whose salary will be between $79,913 and $135,824, is comprised of County Administrator Jim Curry, Human Resources Director Kay Godwin, TDC Chairman Nick Nicholson and local developer Bob Bonezzi.

Other local candidates include former Okaloosa County Commissioner Paula Riggs, The Breakers Condominium General Manager Kathy Houchins and Okaloosa County Public Information Officer Kathy Newby. According to Curry, the committee should have Jones’ replacement confirmed by the County Commission and hired by April.

OTHER DESTIN CANDIDATES

The TDC lists the following candidates that hold Destin addresses.
Lori Allgood, Thomas Denney, Gail Drouillard, Alan Grice, Stephanie Hebert, Joseph Herrmann, Kimberly James, Charles Peterson and Christine Turner