SoWal Incorporation

Looks like the information finding process has started.

Did you mean funding? If not could you explain your comment?

Did you mean funding? If not could you explain your comment?

news report at10:00pm last night showed their first Public meeting. They are going to do a feasibility study. Interviewed lady from Inlet beach. ABC 13 was the station.

The grassroots organization “For a Better South Walton” is moving forward with community meetings with the goal of exploring South Walton's future and pursuing incorporation for a self-governing city. The second community meeting was held Thursday night in Seascape. Kelly Mossburg of Seagrove Beach led the meeting and described in detail many possible options that would better our beloved community of South Walton.

“If we stay on the current path we are on, we may wake up one day and realize this isn’t the special place we know and love anymore,” Kelly stated.

Read more
http://sowal.com/story/update-for-a-better-south-walton-community-meetings

After reading the above report in its entirety, I am even less convinced that this is necessarily the best answer to perceived problems. There is no doubt that the biggest problem for this area is land use and the zoning thereof. If it cannot be better addressed at the county level then incorportation might be the answer. Outside of the fact that land use control is almost non-existent in SoWal, there is little use, IMO, to incorporate. Our provided and necessary services provided, such as EMS and Fire, Waste Management and Mosquito Control among others, is outstanding and very responsive when called upon. If you think that by incorporating, you will do away with many of the problems you already have, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you. There has not yet been enough done in an attempt to solve our problems with the BCC and countyadministration. This should be attempted first and then look to other solutions. Also, it is time for the North part of the county to accept the fact that the South part is a growing, viable enity that can greatly benefit the county as a whole if treated properly. Work with what you already have vigorously before attempting to reconstruct what you already have, IMO.

Agreed Andy, that our South Walton Fire District is outstanding. This is the ONLY service set up to serve just South Walton, and it is run by professionals. We're so lucky to have a professional fire and emergency medical services department dedicated to serve our area and only our area.

However, that is the only thing we have going for us that is uniquely set up to serve our community.

I hope residents will keep their minds open to the possibilities by watching and learning before they make up their minds. Incorporation is a natural step for a growing city. The Walton County BCC is only set up to do certain things in terms of governing. It will never be able to meet specific needs of our growing beach town.

Thanks for posting that article, Kurt. Several of the points were new to us (i.e. PCB formerly having had coastal lakes) so it was an interesting read. My two cents for the potential con ("possibility of more taxes. A 1 Mil increase would cost the average homeowner $350 a year...") would be for it to be a tourism use or heads-in-beds tax, given the incorporation is seeking to preserve the character of this area for tourism as much as it is for locals. Surely there is a tipping point of development that changes the charm here that attracted vacationers in the first place and would cause people to look elsewhere. South Walton's distinctiveness seems to be what tourists are attracted to, so sharing the cost of incorporation to preserve this distinctiveness seems more appealing rather than asking full-time residents to foot the bill entirely. Especially since it is the impact of increased tourist numbers that seems to be stressing the infrastructure (and causing outside developers to want to do the things we are hoping to avoid) more than the smaller minority of full-time residents.
Thanks so much for the updates like that article!

None of the former coastal dune lakes in Bay County have disappeared, as far as I know. They are still bodies of water but are no longer considered coastal dune lakes because they do not function as such.

What would SOWAL Incorporation boundaries look like east to west?

I'm sure the South Walton County Mosquito Control District which is independent of Walton County Government and serves only South Walton County would disagree that SWFD is the ONLY taxing authority that serves ONLY South Walton.

Bob, I agree and started to make that point but got side tracked. To my thinking, an incorportation from the Bay County line to the Okaloosa County line and from the beach to the bay is really a stretch and non contiguous IMO. As I said earlier, as far as I'm concerned, you can leave Blue Mountain Beach out of it but, of course, that is only one man's opinion.

I'm sure the South Walton County Mosquito Control District which is independent of Walton County Government and serves only South Walton County would disagree that SWFD is the ONLY taxing authority that serves ONLY South Walton.

True. Sorry, I just can't get past needing an entire taxing control for this. Not to even mention an elected board. Good Ole Walton County.

I'm sure that the creation of the SWCMCD through a local referendum was highly discussed at the time it was created over 50 years ago. ( similar to incorporation in the South)

They deliver excellent service at a very low cost. Their mileage rate is 1/4 of the "County Run" North Walton Mosquito which is a department of Walton County. Service in the South Far exceeds that provided in the North.

The SWCMCD is far from being the only area served by a "elected" board. Almost every coastal county in the State is served by a "independent" authority.

Looks like you pay about $ 30.00 per year for the service. Your paying about $ 2.00 for those 3 elected officials that provide one of the highest rated districts in Florida.

Teresa, as Bob said, it is not unusual for local governments to operate with independent boards and services in many areas. I am not really sure there is a wide spread understanding of local government operations and functions in SoWal. For the citizenry to be able to intelligently vote on incorporation this is an absolute necessity. And, to be quite frank, most citizens don't give a damn about how they are governed. Those posting here on SoWal are the exception.

In both cases (SWFD and SWCMCD) those who lived here were not satisfied with the level of service provided by:

1. A all volunteer fire department as provided by Walton County
2. No mosquito control or source reduction programs provided by Walton County

Sound familiar ?

I really think Mosquito Control could be provided for via normal city or county services. Fire and emergency services as well. but so thankful we didn't have to wait for incorporation to have a professional South Walton Fire District. We are very fortunate in this regard. Most County level governments, such as Walton County, would never provide such a high level professional service. The fire chief is a hired professional. Not elected.

And the Director of Mosquito Control is hired by the Elected Commissioners as prescribe in Florida Statutes just as the Elected Commissioners at SWFD hired Chief Tolbert.

Mosquito control has 3 Elected commissioners

SWFD has 7 elected Commissioners

And the Director of Mosquito Control is hired by the Elected Commissioners as prescribe in Florida Statutes just as the Elected Commissioners at SWFD hired Chief Tolbert.

Mosquito control has 3 Elected commissioners

SWFD has 7 elected Commissioners

Chief Talbert

And the Director of Mosquito Control is hired by the Elected Commissioners as prescribe in Florida Statutes just as the Elected Commissioners at SWFD hired Chief Tolbert.

Mosquito control has 3 Elected commissioners

SWFD has 7 elected Commissioners

Exactly. And I have always been impressed with the fact that we have a professional fire department in the south end of the County, where services are quite lacking in all other areas. Except Mosquito Control, as you've correctly pointed out.

Teresa,

One reason for the professional fire service in South Walton is that there is a tax base large enough to support it. The second reason is that there is sufficient density and property value to require it. When these factors were not applicable South Walton was served by a volunteer department that served the citizens quite well. SWFD has accomplished a great deal during its existence as far as building infrastructure and acquiring quality professionals to use it. It has accomplished this at a reasonable cost to property owners.

Teresa, what "services are lacking" are you referring to?

I really don't want to debate the level of service we have v. what we don't have. It is what it is - and I've kind of adjusted to County level govt services after all these years (limited to say the least - which is why I've always been impressed with our SWFD - it's truly an exceptional service to have here that many don't realize). I realize incorporation of our community into a city is going to be a hard battle to win. But, I do believe in our town and I believe it deserves the very best future possible.

And I, by the same token, having a BA in governmental services and an MA in Urban Affairs, am not at all sure incorporation will be an answer for South Walton. I am far more prone to think we will find more problems than solutions. I do believe that if a strong effort was made to totally re-vamp our planning department, planning commission and vigorously pursue better and precise land use and zoning codes, we could much more easily solve the problems facing South Walton. While there are a dovoted few willing to actively look toward incorporation, there are none petitioning the county administration to do as suggested above. Develop a plan of operation, call the county commissioners and demand its implementation. If they don't acquiese, there is always the next election, which BTW, you will be having for city commissioners if you incorporate and yet, no further assurance of control in that case, either.

It seems to me that some boundaries need to be established for a new "town", city or whatever. And who would ultimately decide on it? Wouldn't it be in the form of a referendum? That also begs the question as to whether or not the citizens (registered voters) really want another layer of government. A lot of people believe that the more government there is the worse off things are.

It seems to me that some boundaries need to be established for a new "town", city or whatever. And who would ultimately decide on it? Wouldn't it be in the form of a referendum? That also begs the question as to whether or not the citizens (registered voters) really want another layer of government. A lot of people believe that the more government there is the worse off things are.

We sure as heck wanted to retain the elected layer of government that is the school superintendent, didn't we? Big government is a four letter word in these parts, unless said government is full of your family and friends. I think that one of our problems here in WACO, and the fly in the ointment for Andy A's line of thinking is that if "we" (those who tend to want to incorporate) try to get concessions out of "them" (those who favor the current systems of spoils controlled by few) "we" will get plowed over, every time.

I don't think there is any way that incorporation can offer any different set of circumstances than those we already have. The only way to break the present system of nepotism and cronyism is to possibly create one of a different nature. I do not agree that we, with our population growth and financial abilities, cannot change the governing function in Walton County. The possibility of creating the same type of situation in a city commission is always there. One particular group ends up calling all the shots. Our present system is far from perfect and all systems of government can be improved. It should also be remembered that although the fight was long and vigorous, the point about compatibility and neighborhoods won out in the Hampton Inn project. I would certainly not say, in this case, the citizenry was "plowed over". Instead, they were supported because their cause was right. I still believe working within the present system until we have a greater population and a more firm financial base is the correct thing to at this time. I am not against incorporation per se as I have said previously. I am just not for it now nor do I believe are many others.