After Scathing Revelations About Transit Service, Okaloosa Commissioners Sign Off on $1M Contract Fix
After Scathing Revelations About Transit Service, Okaloosa Commissioners Sign Off on $1M Contract Fix Christopher Saul February 18, 2026 11:38 am Crestview, Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa County In Brief: Okaloosa County commissioners have approved a retroactive amendment to their transit contract that shields roughly $900,000 in state grant funding and may avert a potential million-dollar bill for local taxpayers, while opening the door to sweeping changes in how the county runs its bus system. The Board of County Commissioners voted 4–0 on Tuesday to adopt the Ninth Amendment to its contract with MV Transportation, backdated to November 2019. Commissioner Paul Mixon was absent. Transportation Director Tracy Stage, who took over the transit department just a week ago after its transfer under the airports department upon the departure of Tyrone Parker, told commissioners the change is the first step in cleaning up years of grant and contract missteps identified in an Inspector General’s report. “This will make right roughly $900,000 with the grant funding agency, and we can move forward on other grant issues and financial situations,” Stage said, adding that MV’s leadership “shares every bit of the responsibility” for the oversight problems. Avoiding a Seven-Figure Hit Commission Chairman Trey Goodwin pressed Stage and senior staff to explain the stakes for the public. Stage and County Administrator John Hofstad confirmed that, without FDOT’s willingness to recognize the retroactive amendment, the county risked being found out of compliance with grant rules and forced to repay close to $1 million. Hofstad called...
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