SoWal Incorporation

[Misty]

We can take charge of our future or let DeFuniak Springs continue to be our "leadership".

Umm, excuse me but Defuniak Springs can't pay attention let alone be your leadership. Aspirations for growth in Defuniak have never been what I consider admirable because of those who control the growth aspect of this City. Until we get rid of those who control our growth (or the lack thereof) we will continue to be what we have always been...a little spot on the map to get gas and head to the beach. You give us far to much credit if you think we are "your leadership".

The County is your issue not Defuniak!

 

[Andy A]

Misty is absolutely right. What's more, you can easily attain the same dramatic leadership here in South Walton if the wrong people are elected. What those pushing for incorporation seem to conveniently forget is that there are five county commissioners elected at large. By assuring the right people are selected in all five districts, turning out the vote in South Walton and educating the populace regarding your desired outcomes, you can easily make the BCC responsive to your needs. I don't need another layer of government and the taxation that goes along with it. It would behoove those pushing for incorporation to work to make our present system better instead.

 

[Teresa]

Defuniak Springs is the Walton County BCC seat and the north part of the County holds the power over our community. I don't know why people would think this is a good idea now or ever. If you've ever been to a BCC meeting, you might understand what I'm saying.

 

[Misty]

Defuniak Springs is the Walton County BCC seat and the north part of the County holds the power over our community. I don't know why people would think this is a good idea now or ever. If you've ever been to a BCC meeting, you might understand what I'm saying.

I'm glad you think we have so much power up here in the north.

And for whatever it's worth to you Teresa, I've been to more BCC meetings than I can count and I can assure you the citizens of this County have never, ever held the power (even with their vote) to actually get things done without fighting very long, hard, tough battles with the BCC. You do this boards audience a real disservice by suggesting the North end is somehow holding the South end hostage. That simply is not true.

I'll name just a few for you Teresa:

The leaking landfill...not an issue of me anymore. I'm on City water but for those of you South of us...water runs downhill. Where's your outrage?

The old Humane Society was ousted by the BCC but it took approximately 2 years for that to happen and an audit that proved unequivocally we had thieves on the County payroll who were only looking out for themselves and not the animals or the Citizens best interests. From the date they lost their contract with the County it took another 2 years for the County to reluctantly agree to build their own facility (even though 2 different BCC boards voted unanimously to do so) and another 4 years for the building to finally come to fruition. From start to finish it was an 8 year nightmare. And by the way....the South end didn't give a tinkers damn even though Animal Control picks up animals from down there also. South end residents were visibly absent from those fiasco BCC meetings but every redneck with a pit bull in their pickup truck (at BCC meetings no less) up here in the northern part of the county made it known they weren't happy with the BCC's decision to yank the contract or move services until such time as a facility was built.

I think the biggest problem here is that many of you fighting for incorporation think that SoWal is exclusively "your" community. It is not now nor has it ever been.

 

[Danny Glidewell]

Teresa, there are many citizens in the North who will tell you the South holds power over the North and gets everything they ask for. It is a matter of self-interest and perception on everyone's part.
The entire county would be better off if people saw the entire county as one community and worked to make everyone's life better. It really bothers me to continually hear South residents bash North residents and accuse us of trying to "ruin" the South. I cannot understand why anyone thinks it would be of benefit to North citizens to damage the South. The fact is that the individuals who want to build, build, build live either out of county or in the South. And they can certainly spend money to control a city government just as they have spent money for years to control the county government. You can make the North the bogeyman if you want, but truthfully you might want to look at your neighbor as well.

 

[poppy]

Good post Danny. I don't have a Sowal sticker on my vehicle for the very reason you state, I live in Walton County south of the bay. It is one county.

 

[Jackalope]

Theorizing for a moment. North and South Walton will never be united, nor do they need to be. It's like asking Democrats and Republicans to unite or Atheists and Christians. Different interests, agendas and predispositions. I'm generalizing to the extreme but, you have rich new comers vs poor long timers. People that want to protect financial investment and standard of living vs those protecting heritage and way of life. Frankly, I (like many) am in the middle. South draws the labor pool from the North, North draws tax revenues (I'm assuming) from the South.

I have no interest in incorporating. I have too much money leaving my wallet as it is. For me, that has to be my priority. For others that want some amenities, take it to your HOA.

What Andy has said makes sense. Fix what we have first. You wouldn't have your car detailed if the transmission was smoked.

If I offended anyone, it wasn't my intent. Just trying to be blunt, so I generalized.

 

[Misty]

North and South Walton will never be united, nor do they need to be.

I don't agree with that comment at all. I do think we need to be united as an entire community (North and South) particularly when its time to vote for elected officials. Frankly, I don't much care about heritage (particularly Defuniak's heritage) and preserving the historic district at the cost of real growth and meaningful jobs to me is absurd but I absolutely get the "it's just the way we do things round here" mentality because I've lived with it for so long....doesn't make it right but it is what it is.

I agree with Andy and have said all along until you fix or change the "power" in this county you are not going to accomplish anything by incorporation. Hell, I'd be willing to bet half you folks in the South end have no clue who the real power players are in this County. If you think it's the BCC, I'm selling swamp land.

I don't want to see the South end over developed or the beaches destroyed but obviously not for the same reasons as folks who actually own land in the South...I want to see and enjoy them as nature (or God if that's your choice) intended. I also think that most (admittedly not all) people North of the bay are intelligent enough to go to a BCC meeting and fight for what's right for all of us but not just because of where our property lines are drawn. I was opposed to the Hampton Inn because it went against the land development codes and until "we" as a united community fix that problem....incorporation is (in my opinion) just a huge waste of time and resources and is going to pi$$ off more folks than it appeases.

I don't know anyone in their right mind who wants another layer of government and more taxes and yeah it does make me question the sanity of the folks pushing for it.

 

[steel1man]

North and South Walton will never be united, nor do they need to be.
We gotta fight den northerners!!!! Rebel Yell!!! HEY!!

 

[miznotebook]

I don't know anyone in their right mind who wants another layer of government and more taxes and yeah it does make me question the sanity of the folks pushing for it.

Just out of curiosity, do you question the sanity of the people living in DFS, Freeport, and Paxton?