The article below is a copy of a letter to the editor published in the July 21, 2011 Defuniak Herald/Beach Breeze newspapers.
Upon reading the article I was prompted to start this forum to see what you all thought about incorporating Walton County south of the Bay.
Letter to the Editor - Defuniak Herald/Beach Breeze Newspapers - editions published on July 21, 2011
Who’s Running Walton County – Part Deux
The July 12, 2011 Walton County Commissioners meeting opened with a bang, as one of the commissioners explained to the public that the separation between North and South Walton County must end.Lofty words coming from a County Commission that has over the years put the “squeeze” on the businesses and short term rental property owners along the beaches. Regulation after regulation has been voted into law by the Commissioners in order to control how residential and commercial property near the beaches is developed and used.
Now, the County Commissioners have pointed their compass at ALL business owners throughout the county through their ratification of the new Certificate of Land Use Compliance (“CLUC”) ordinance at this meeting. This ordinance is step one in a two step process to regulate businesses that operate in the county and to regulate the use of short term rental properties (a.k.a. the Wedding/Events Industry Affair).
During the County Commission meeting, the CLUC legislation was put forth by the Planning Department Executive Director and then the floor was opened to public comment. I asked the Commissioners three simple questions about this legislation in order to determine how much expense the taxpayers and business owners would have to bear in order to comply with the law.
These questions were:
Question 1. - Do you have any information that estimates how much this program will cost?
Commission Answer: "No."
Question 2. - Do you have any information that estimates how many companies will be required to comply with this law?
Commission Answer: "No, that is the purpose of the ordinance, to identify the companies doing business in Walton County."
Question 3. – Do you have any information as to what the “Cost of Compliance” will be to each business owner in order to comply with the law?
Commission Answer: "No."
The Commissioners did ask clarifying questions of the Planning Department. The Planning Department Executive Directorcould not provide any hard cold facts to answer anyone’s questions.
I was embarrassed for each and every Commissioner as they were provided “responses” from the Planning Department and no real “answers” about the cost impact to the tax payers and business owners. The Planning Department Executive Directorshould be ashamed of his unprofessional performance.
Firstly, how can a “Planning Department” Executive Director put forth legislation to the Commission with a recommendation to vote to approve when there is no “Cost Accounting Plan” or “Business Plan”?
Secondly, how does the Planning Department intend to notify businesses that they must comply with the law?
The Planning Department Executive Director authoritatively stated that the legislation would cost very little to enact, implement and manage. The Planning Department Executive Director further emphasized that the department had available resources that could implement and manage the entire program without a problem.
Does this mean the Planning Department has “plenty” of resources, or are the current department employees are going be forced to work longer hours, or enabled to work more efficiently?
The public could easily conclude that that the continued policy to reduce county expenses appears to have been tossed out the window.
This is evident by the fact that the Commissioners agreed to enact this legislation without A) Budget/Cost Estimates, B) knowing how many businesses would be required to comply, and C) how much it would cost business owners to comply.
With this sort of financial “planning”, how do the county executives and Commissioners expect to resolve the $4 million budget shortfall for the 2011-2012 budget year?
Our County Commissioners deserve better support from county department executives in order to make “smart” decisions. It would also be prudent for the Commissioners to exercise the wisdom to vote against legislation when a clear cost to taxpayers is not provided by a county executive.
Neither smart decision making nor wisdom was employed by the Commissioners’ when this legislation was presented, discussed, and enacted on July 12, 2011.
If a business operates without cost controls and a budget, it often fails.When local, state and federal governments operate without cost controls, they simply send citizens and business owners a tax bill to keep the cash flowing. It is unfair to all taxpayers.
Look out local county business owners, added regulation is headed your way.
On July 14, 2011, only two days after the CLUC was approved, Mr. Mac Carpenter of the Planning Department issued the following statement in an e-mail:
“Effective July 13, 2011, all businesses located in UNINCORPORATED areas of Walton County must apply for and receive a Certificate of Land Use Compliance from Walton County Planning and Development Services. This only applies to business locations on parcels of land outside the city limits of DeFuniak Springs. Freeport and Paxton. “
The ink is not even dry on the CLUC and now the Planning Department is excluding businesses located within three cities in the northern part of the county from having to comply with the new legislation. The word “unincorporated” does not even exist with the CLUC ordinance itself.
How can the Planning Department “selectively enforce” the law so soon or create exclusions without a Commission vote? Can you believe it?
So much for the county commissioners “words” about all of us being part of one county “community”.
Maybe now is the time to take a new look at incorporating Walton County south of the bay.
Enough is enough.
John Stark
Seacreast, FL