In case you haven't heard, Destin is seceding from the Union, or, at least, Okaloosa County. The lovely little city on the sea has had enough. To hear Destin City Hall tell it, they've been put upon and abused by the rest of us Okaloosians one too many times. Who knew being so blessed, as the City of Destin undoubtedly is, could be such a curse.
As we all know, of course, the grass is always greener on the other side. Destin incorporated in 1984 to take control of its own destiny from the County. Some might wonder if incorporation has really amounted to much, beyond higher taxes and a duplicative layer of government, of course. Destin has no city fire department, no city police department, no ambulances, no jail, no judges or courthouses, no (public) airports, no water or sewer system, and no tourism development department. Destin has two public beach accesses with public parking, while Okaloosa County has 11. Destin does have a library, which thanks to the tremendous City-County partnership known as the Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative, is open free of charge to all citizens of the county, not just Destin residents.
When all the rhetoric is scrubbed away, Destin City Hall's only real added value is as an additional regulatory and permitting agency. Given the constant flow of new regulations proposed by Destin City Hall, no one would question the City's prowess as a regulatory powerhouse. As a permitting agency, their record may be less distinguished.
The boundary of Destin can be difficult to find. As you drive along Highway 98 through "Destin" (in the generic sense), for substantial stretches one side of the road is in the City and the other is in the unincorporated County. I would challenge anyone to note any discernible distinction. Thus, if the County has done well planning and permitting, so has Destin. And if the County has done poorly, so too has Destin. Why pay extra for the same services? And to be sure, the citizens of Destin do pay extra each and every year, a whopping 35 percent extra in property taxes compared to citizens in the unincorporated County. Perhaps City Hall should be discussing dissolution rather than secession.
It is possible that Destin would find Walton County to be more suitable, or maybe not. I consider Walton County to be a well-run county and a great place to live. And yet, there is a group in South Walton that is pushing for incorporation as a city as a way to, you guessed it, take control of their own destiny. Maybe South Walton residents will find incorporation is the answer to all that ails them, but probably not. As I age, I am learning more and more to be satisfied where I am. There is little that can't be fixed with open dialogue.
Destin City Hall is unlikely to get everything that it wants through dialogue with the County, but I would argue it is likely to be more productive than bombastic rhetoric and idle threats. And, at any rate, secessionist movements do not have much of a history of success in these parts.
This guest column is by Nathan Boyles, Okaloosa County Commissioner for District 3.