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Do you mean the city incorporation group - A Better South Walton?

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Why not incorporate Santa Rosa Beach? Might have to annex Rosemary, Seacrest, Inlet and Alys.

Do you mean the city incorporation group - A Better South Walton?

Use quotes around a phrase with forum search - i.e. "A Better South Walton" - Search | SoWal Forum - South Walton Florida


or click Search Results for Query: "a better south walton" | SoWal Forum - South Walton Florida

Yes this was it. Was talking to someone who had mentioned the County but meant the city. Got lost in translation. Thanks

Why not incorporate Santa Rosa Beach? Might have to annex Rosemary, Seacrest, Inlet and Alys.

This has been discussed for decades and the majority of residents dont want/need another layer of government.

This has been discussed for decades and the majority of residents dont want/need another layer of government.

When was the vote?

When was the vote?

Never even got that far from what I remember....

There was a very serious effort to try to incorporate the area south of the bay. I think the general intent was to curb out of control development. It failed to ever come to s vote because our representative, Brad Drake (I think)refused to sponsor the bill that would authorize an initial vote on whether there was a threshold of interest to move forward with the proposed articles of incorporation. You know that every single government official in Walton County would be opposed to it because we are their money cow.

There was a very serious effort to try to incorporate the area south of the bay. I think the general intent was to curb out of control development. It failed to ever come to s vote because our representative, Brad Drake (I think)refused to sponsor the bill that would authorize an initial vote on whether there was a threshold of interest to move forward with the proposed articles of incorporation. You know that every single government official in Walton County would be opposed to it because we are their money cow.

It will inevitably happen as it has in every other growing community in the US since our founding. Once we jave more professionals and fewer transients and 2nd homeowners. It is happening there are apartments, town homes and large subdivisions of houses going in everywhere in SoWal.

Wasn't there some town hall meetings about this? My guess as to why it died is that there are not enough "progressives" who love more government, living in the county to get it passed. It would mean more taxes and who wants to pay more taxes?

It would mean more taxes, at a mutually agreed upon level dependent on what services the incorporated "town" would provide. But it would also allow the community to enact more sensible restrictions on development and rules to keep development from getting way beyond the capacity of the infrastructure to handle. There were several town hall meetings and they were well attended. The reason it did not proceed is simply that the county commissioners talked Brad Drake into throwing the idea into the trash. Without his sponsorship, it could not legally proceed to the next step.

My feeling was and always has been, that it would cost more and for those who hate the way local government operates the same people would be attempting to get their folks elected in SoWal. If folks want to change how Walton County is they need to go vote. That is just my opinion.

Bob, I think you hit the nail squarely. The same people would be getting their folks elected in city govt just as they do at the county level.

LVToo: "It would mean more taxes, at a mutually agreed upon level...." Just who would be doing the mutually agreeing on the taxes and the services provided?

Finding and backing good candidates for the BCC is the place to start. Donating and voting are the next steps.

Bob, I think you hit the nail squarely. The same people would be getting their folks elected in city govt just as they do at the county level.

LVToo: "It would mean more taxes, at a mutually agreed upon level...." Just who would be doing the mutually agreeing on the taxes and the services provided?

Finding and backing good candidates for the BCC is the place to start. Donating and voting are the next steps.

I think things would be better if we didn't vote on commissioners outside of the district one lives in. I know as much about the needs in Paxton as the average Paxtonian knows about those of south Walton. It is absurd that we mutually choose one another's commissioner.

I think things would be better if we didn't vote on commissioners outside of the district one lives in. I know as much about the needs in Paxton as the average Paxtonian knows about those of south Walton. It is absurd that we mutually choose one another's commissioner.

And that South Walton only has 2. And that they are owned by business and developers.

Why not incorporate Santa Rosa Beach? Might have to annex Rosemary, Seacrest, Inlet and Alys.

I think the original idea was to make South Walton a city and that didn't fly. And I doubt that it would have guaranteed that the new "city" would change the politics like the activists would like. It'll probably be a long time before Walton County turns blue.

I think the original idea was to make South Walton a city and that didn't fly. And I doubt that it would have guaranteed that the new "city" would change the politics like the activists would like. It'll probably be a long time before Walton County turns blue.

I don't think a blue city was the goal. It was getting out from under ignorant rednecks who don't live in our area and don't care about us or our environment and only see us as a cash cow.

The state will never allow a county split. It would create an instantly impoverished (look at a definition before you take offense) interior county that the state would constantly be bailing out.

Despite some who see everything through their upturned trunk, this progressive/liberal is very much against incorporation. Despite broad assumptions liberals/progressives don't love taxes, but generally have a good enough education to understand why paying taxes is a civic duty.

Incorporation is a waste of time, effort and money. Getting better representation on the BCC would be a good start, but the same folks blinded by partisanship here are dumb enough to vote party over person.

Yes this was it. Was talking to someone who had mentioned the County but meant the city. Got lost in translation. Thanks

Website: A Better South Walton – It's Worth the Effort

Bob, A bi partisan group was formed several years ago (2014) to create The Town of South Walton.

Three districts, two city commissioners per district and an mayor. All representatives have to live full time in South Walton for South Walton. Non partisan voting. The goal was to have full representation by people who live in South Walton.

Opposition based in fear of higher taxes, and the necessity and failure to have our local Legislative House Representative be fully behind the local Legislative Bill killed the effort.

The feasibility study and all other documents are on the website link HERE: Document Center – A Better South Walton

A good start. I just hope that when the town of SoWal Beach is made that we put protection of our environment first and foremost.

A good start. I just hope that when the town of SoWal Beach is made that we put protection of our environment first and foremost.

I'm not sure what you mean, "a good start". This effort has been defunct for over five years. The goal was to try to curb overdevelopment and environmental degradation, but clearly the powers that be do not care about such things.

I think things would be better if we didn't vote on commissioners outside of the district one lives in. I know as much about the needs in Paxton as the average Paxtonian knows about those of south Walton. It is absurd that we mutually choose one another's commissioner.

In fairness, if people would vote the possibility is there to have Commissioners who would represent all of Walton County. If you have District voting there is not a guarantee you could muster the 3 required votes to get your issue passed. Whether you like it or not having single District voting doesn't help one area over another. As for how the District are set up, it is population based, and SoWal is a part of 3 BCC seats, 1, 4, 5. Granted 1 and 4 have small enclaves of SoWal.

There was a very serious effort to try to incorporate the area south of the bay. I think the general intent was to curb out of control development. It failed to ever come to s vote because our representative, Brad Drake (I think)refused to sponsor the bill that would authorize an initial vote on whether there was a threshold of interest to move forward with the proposed articles of incorporation. You know that every single government official in Walton County would be opposed to it because we are their money cow.

I do not see how it would effect the money from SoWal. Incorporating would not have alleviated any tax collected.

There was a very serious effort to try to incorporate the area south of the bay. I think the general intent was to curb out of control development. It failed to ever come to s vote because our representative, Brad Drake (I think)refused to sponsor the bill that would authorize an initial vote on whether there was a threshold of interest to move forward with the proposed articles of incorporation. You know that every single government official in Walton County would be opposed to it because we are their money cow.

Incorporation would not have changed how one dime was collected.

Incorporation would not have changed how one dime was collected.

I’m really not an authority on it, but I did listen attentively at one meeting and tried to read up on it. You are correct that all basic taxes would still be paid to the county as before and that money to run the “town” would be additional taxes. It would come down to agreements on what services the “town” would provide and what sort of deal would be made with the county to provide these services. The town wouldn’t have its own police force, for instance, but it did want to have its own waste disposal service. It would have an extra layer of building permitting, which would slow down growth, and affect the flow of revenue to the County