Thanks Danny I do appreciate your reply. Unlike the current commissioners who ignore constituent's questions. I get the; it depends, I need more information, and I’ll look into that, kind of answers. But you have been involved in this issue and other issues for 56 years. You know the principles being claimed.
Fact is that currently the beach is the #1 economic engine for the county…
[and 75% is privately owned property with rights of private enjoyment of their property that owners have had and have today.]
As a matter of principle I am opposed to any tax increases.
Since your are talking about your principles. What is your principle regarding (1) Fifth Amendment individual private property rights and (2) common law public customary use for tourist money? You know all the arguments over the years. Based on facts and not opinions which is superior in Walton County and why? What are the costs and the risks to Walton tax payers? What if it was your personal money to litigate and not tax payers money? Do you support litigating the claim of public customary use against 900+ Walton private property owners after July 1, 2018? That's a hard question to any candidate because the majority of voters do, IMO. But what is the right thing to do when given individual rights and claimed public rights conflict?
Current revenue levels are sufficient to buy beachfront AND build needed infrastructure.
At some point, maybe not here, you will need to explain that to the voters and property-tax payers how.
As far as what happens if something does or does not happen in the future [like if property owners prevail?], I do not speculate on what ifs.
That’s what your duty is as a Commissioner. Lead, plan for the future, have a plan A and plan B, spend/invest tax payers money like it is your own. Protect individual rights and work in the interests of ALL Walton County residents and tax payers. Unlike the current BCC Anderson, Chapman, C. Jones, Comander or staff. What if property owners prevail?
I will say that if I am elected I will carefully examine each and every proposal and I will not be bound by what has been done in the past but will work to find solutions that help as many citizens as possible and protect our economy and way of life.
At some point, maybe not here, you will need to explain that to the voters and property-tax payers how.
I think that the best practices and best government is one that operates in a manner that does not draw lawsuits from anyone. Currently we are being sued by property owners, citizens opposed to breaking the development rules, employees who are harassed and mistreated and many other issues. Following the law and the rules could have prevented most of these suits.
We agree! How?
I also believe in transparent government and being responsive to citizens which is why I am here answering your questions in the first place.
We agree! Thank you. How?
Thank you Danny for being up front. Wish you luck in your campaign. Hope to see your response and have other discussions that matter to Walton residents and tax payers.
FBB, while we are in agreement on the private property issues, and for that matter, most every issue you brought up, please bear in mind that come election time, we are going to be confronted with a binary choice. Do we want Danny or someone else? Do we want Bill or someone else? We know who will be behind the someone elses.
The BCC this morning directed legal staff to prepare a ballot proposal for the upcoming election for a referendum on imposing a half-cent sales tax. The dollars produced are, like all the other tax revenues the county enjoys and the BCC gives away to endless friends, relatives, and lawyers, fungible. They will free up lots of other taxes to spend more on the friends, family and lawyers plan, including funding suits against you, me, and 900+ others on the beach.
You can see how Sara and Cecilia voted. Danny says he would oppose that. I know Danny personally, and one thing of which I'm sure is that he is an honest man. While I most likely will disagree from time to time with him, I will agree with him a great deal more than I have ever agreed with Sara and Cecilia. Ditto all those remarks with Bill Fletcher.
If and when you, I or anyone comes up with a candidate who gives each of us answers that are exactly what we want to hear every time, I think it a given that we have a candidate who will lie on other things, too.
Walton County has had some terrible governance in the 12 years I've been on the beach. As we work toward changing that to include among other things a BCC governing to avoid lawsuits and new or increased taxes, we need a BCC that understands its proper role, not one that mistakenly believes it is or can be all things to all people but first and foremost for the moneyed interests who spent what it took to elect them. It is a legislative body, and it has proved to date, IMHO, that that government is best which governs least. It needs to hire competent administrative people and staff to identify and address present and future needs. We don't need little demi-gods sitting on their Olympian pedestals screwing things up as they have for years.
We are not picking from a field of candidates for a Fortune 500 CEO job, and I understand that is frustrating to people accustomed to dealing in such rarefied air. Fact is, it's almost impossible to find honest people to put themselves through what you are doing with Danny. He's a citizen outraged in a quiet way with how our county has been run and willing to subject himself to the calumny and disapprobation that accompany a candidacy. Better yet, he's hardworking, honest and intelligent, enough so to tell you he doesn't have all the answers and that in fact, he doesn't and can't know all the questions.
An old saying that has probably served you as well as it has me is "Let not the perfect be the enemy of the good." And by the way, if you own on the beach and are paying more in property taxes there than in income taxes, I need the name of your tax accountant.
