Escambia County Commission Chairman Raymond Wiggins said they have same great things in store in the year ahead.

“And it’s not going to be an easy road,” he said. “One of the top things that has to be addressed by us is the Escambia County Courthouse. The courthouse is in major need of renovations. We will have emergency renovations during the first or second week of January.”

Architects have surveyed the courthouse in order to see what the needs are, he said.

Asbestos and leaking roofs are just a small number of issues that the commission is dealing with.

“Our objective will be decided if we can overhaul the courthouse or if we need to build a new new one and that is something that needs to be addressed as soon as possible,” Wiggins said.

Another major issue on the agenda for the commission in 2019 is the Escambia County Detention Facility.

“The ECDC is overcrowded and that problem is not going to go away,” he said. “Again, architects are evaluating the issue to see if the construction is stable enough to build onto or if a new facility will be needed. This is an issue that we have to deal with as soon as possible.”

The commission is also looking to continue improving its infrastructure with more paving projects in the works.

Wiggins said paving projects will be paid for with left over sales tax and contributions from the Poarch Bank of Creek Indians.

Other plans include improving economic development with more job creation.

“We have big plans to improve our economy within the county and with the great teamwork that we have within the commission, we are looking to do some great things this year,” he said.