SoWal Incorporation
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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.
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.
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!
Thanks so much for the updates like that article!
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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.
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.