A Better South Walton, the group behind incorporating the 26-mile-long piece of land known locally as South Walton, has released a summary of its proposed charter.
“A charter is the bylaws of a new city’s basic structure, and the second step required towards incorporation,” said the group’s president, David Pleat.
The first step was a feasibility study, which was completed earlier in the year.
The charter for the proposed new municipality will have a seven-member city council/mayor form of government working under a city manager. The mayor will be a voting entity.
There will be three existing council seat districts and four at large. The three existing districts are Miramar, Santa Rosa Beach, and Point Washington/Rosemary.
All will serve four-year terms, with no term limits.
The charter can be amended through the incorporation process at any time.
The proposed salaries, which Pleat said is enough to attract quality people, will be $120,000 annually for the city manager, $12,000 a year for council members, and $15,000 a year for the mayor.
“We looked at similar-size cities to come up with the pay scale,” said Pleat.
The next step towards incorporation is choosing a name for the collective communities that will make up the municipality.
Pleat said there are four options that have been decided upon, and they are listed on the ABSW website for the community to vote on.
They are: Town of South Walton; Village of South Walton; Villages of South Walton; or City of South Walton. Votes on the name should be cast in the next couple of weeks, he said.
The feasibility study, proposed charter and the municipality’s name will be submitted to the Florida Legislature in the fall and if it gets approval, a non-partisan referendum should appear on ballot in August 2017. If it passes, Dec. 4 could be the first actual City Council meeting.
One community member who read the charter summary and said she thinks it is a great idea is Suzanne Harris, who formerly served on the Walton County Planning Commission.
“It’s a step in the right direction. We have got to do something,” she said.
Only registered voters living south of the bay in Walton County would be able to vote on the issue of incorporation.
This charter summary is the framework for what will later become the final charter. The final charter, after community input on a name is collected, is what will be presented to the local State Representative in early September.
A Better South Walton is made up of a group of citizen volunteers who share a concern about the future of their community.
Their mission is to seek more effective governance and local representation for South Walton to preserve and enhance its unique character, property values, and quality of life.
To find out more, visit the website at www.abettersouthwalton.org.
“A charter is the bylaws of a new city’s basic structure, and the second step required towards incorporation,” said the group’s president, David Pleat.
The first step was a feasibility study, which was completed earlier in the year.
The charter for the proposed new municipality will have a seven-member city council/mayor form of government working under a city manager. The mayor will be a voting entity.
There will be three existing council seat districts and four at large. The three existing districts are Miramar, Santa Rosa Beach, and Point Washington/Rosemary.
All will serve four-year terms, with no term limits.
The charter can be amended through the incorporation process at any time.
The proposed salaries, which Pleat said is enough to attract quality people, will be $120,000 annually for the city manager, $12,000 a year for council members, and $15,000 a year for the mayor.
“We looked at similar-size cities to come up with the pay scale,” said Pleat.
The next step towards incorporation is choosing a name for the collective communities that will make up the municipality.
Pleat said there are four options that have been decided upon, and they are listed on the ABSW website for the community to vote on.
They are: Town of South Walton; Village of South Walton; Villages of South Walton; or City of South Walton. Votes on the name should be cast in the next couple of weeks, he said.
The feasibility study, proposed charter and the municipality’s name will be submitted to the Florida Legislature in the fall and if it gets approval, a non-partisan referendum should appear on ballot in August 2017. If it passes, Dec. 4 could be the first actual City Council meeting.
One community member who read the charter summary and said she thinks it is a great idea is Suzanne Harris, who formerly served on the Walton County Planning Commission.
“It’s a step in the right direction. We have got to do something,” she said.
Only registered voters living south of the bay in Walton County would be able to vote on the issue of incorporation.
This charter summary is the framework for what will later become the final charter. The final charter, after community input on a name is collected, is what will be presented to the local State Representative in early September.
A Better South Walton is made up of a group of citizen volunteers who share a concern about the future of their community.
Their mission is to seek more effective governance and local representation for South Walton to preserve and enhance its unique character, property values, and quality of life.
To find out more, visit the website at www.abettersouthwalton.org.
