UPDATE: The headline has been updated to further clarify that council voted to consider replacing the July 4th fireworks with a drone show. The rest of the story remains unchanged.

The Destin City Council chose a drone show over its traditional Independence Day fireworks display after a debate over nesting shorebirds, costs and the significance of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

• Council voted 4-3 during its Monday night meeting to direct staff to bring back a drone show contract for consideration at its next meeting.

The fireworks contract extension, the first of five possible annual renewals, would have cost $39,100 for the 2026 show. The city had budgeted $40,000 for the display.

City Manager Larry Jones told council the contract extension had not yet been executed, meaning the city was not obligated to hold a fireworks show. He said there had been discussion about pursuing a drone show, particularly after the council recently passed a resolution to protect shorebirds.

• “If we decide to do the drone show, which I know the mayor has done some work on — it’s still viable to move in that direction if we chose to, we can certainly — if the council wants to do fireworks, we can do that,” Jones said.

Jones said the fireworks show requires an incidental take permit from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in case the display causes injury, harm or death to nesting birds. That permit costs about $9,000.

He outlined roughly $57,000 available for a drone show without a budget amendment — $40,000 from the fireworks line item, $10,000 the Parks Foundation agreed to raise and about $7,000 freed up after the city paused the incidental take permit process.

Mayor Bobby Wagner cited FWC guidance from the Imperiled Beach Nesting Birds program, which requires fireworks to be launched at least .75 miles from active breeding or roosting sites. A drone show, by contrast, only needs to launch 600 feet away and stay 300 feet from nesting sites while in the air.

• “So the short answer is much easier,” Wagner said. “With drones, we need 600 feet. With fireworks, we need nearly a mile.”

Wagner said every corner of East Pass is currently covered with nesting birds, making the traditional launch site on the West Jetty on Eglin property a problem. He estimated the West Jetty is about a quarter mile from nesting sites.

Parks and Recreation Director Lisa Firth said the city has launched fireworks from the West Jetty for roughly 20 to 30 years and has been paying the incidental take permit for at least three years. She said the city also has a mitigation plan in place through Eglin’s Jackson Guard.

Councilwoman Teresa Hebert said the drone show is roughly the same price as the fireworks and is friendlier to the birds the city is trying to protect, “as well as the residents and those that have talked about PTSD.”

The debate grew more pointed when Councilman Chatham Morgan questioned whether canceling the city’s show would accomplish much given that private fireworks displays happen twice a week in Destin for roughly six months a year.

• “If we’re not going to take action on the fireworks that happen twice a week, six months a year in this town, I’m not sure canceling Fourth of July fireworks from the city is going to achieve the result that we’re looking for to protect the shorebirds,” Morgan said.

Morgan said he would entertain a broader ban on fireworks during nesting season, which runs from April through August, but was not sure he could support the drone show without that broader action. He also asked whether private fireworks operators are paying the incidental take fee and requested that FWC enforce the permit requirement for all parties.

Wagner said he has a public records request pending with FWC to determine whether anyone in Okaloosa County has obtained the permit.

Councilman Dewey Destin explored whether the fireworks could be moved farther from Noriega Point — potentially on a barge — to clear the .75-mile buffer. Firth said barge launches are possible but use smaller shells than land-based shows. Wagner said the nesting sites cover all four quadrants of East Pass, making it difficult to find a compliant location nearby.

Destin acknowledged the drone show concept but noted the significance of the occasion.

• “I don’t want to impact birds, and I’m not especially fond of fireworks, but this is the 250th year anniversary,” Destin said. He suggested shortening the fireworks show and supplementing it with drones, though Wagner and Firth confirmed the incidental take permit and fee would still apply regardless of the show’s length.

Councilman Jim Bagby raised concerns about the timeline, noting the city is 47 days from the Fourth of July.

“Great idea. Would’ve been an even better idea six months ago,” Bagby said. He said he would not support the drone show for the 250th anniversary.

Councilwoman Sandy Trammell supported the switch, saying she hears from veterans and dog owners every year about the disruption fireworks cause.

“I think we seriously should consider doing a drone show,” Trammell said.

Councilman Kevin Schmidt asked for an informal show of hands from the audience, which he said came out roughly 50-50 between fireworks and drone show supporters. He then made the motion to pursue a drone show contract in lieu of fireworks. Trammell seconded, and the motion passed 4-3, with Destin, Bagby and Morgan voting no.

Wagner said a local Destin-based drone operator has already begun the FAA application process and has previously done shows for Sandestin, Fort Walton Beach and the county. Staff will bring a drone show contract back for council consideration at the next meeting.