Patronis: Balfour Beatty has “catastrophically failed this community” in leaving Tyndall housing untouched since Hurricane Michael

Jan. 24--PANAMA CITY -- Commenting on the deadlock that has left more than 600 damaged single family dwellings on Tyndall Air Force Base untouched since Hurricane Michael, state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis condemned developer Balfour Beatty Communities for their actions and for providing no clear answers to his staff.

"It is absolutely unacceptable that Balfour Beatty Communities has essentially forfeited their commitment to provide safe and quality housing at Tyndall Air Force Base in the wake of Hurricane Michael. As our brave military members piece together their lives while serving our nation, I expect Balfour Beatty to begin repairs immediately on their properties or be held in breach of contract," Patronis said in a release.

"I have reached out to company executives and they have refused to provide any written explanation as to why they have catastrophically failed this community. Military members should not be paying the consequences for bad business decisions. Considering that this company does extensive business with the state, at the very least they have a responsibility to be responsive to all taxpayers, including our selfless servicemembers," he continued.

Efforts to repair and rebuild the base's housing are paralyzed because of a dispute between Balfour Beatty Communities and a creditor. According to Sen. Marco Rubio, the creditor is not allowing the insurance proceeds from the Hurricane Michael destruction to flow to the company for repairs because of the large sum of money owed.

Rubio similarly described the situation as "catastrophic" saying it has the potential to threaten long-term future operations, including the deployment of three F-35 joint strike fighter squadrons in 2023.

Read More: Rubio: Housing situation at Tyndall is 'catastrophic' -- could threaten future operations

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