CRESTVIEW

Crestview mayor voted onto Florida League of Cities Board of Directors

Crestview Mayor JB Whitten has been elected to serve on the Florida League of Cities’ Board of Directors. He is currently the president of the Northwest Florida League of Cities.

• The Florida League of Cities serves as a united voice for Florida’s municipal governments, according to the City of Crestview.

The Board of Directors provide organizational leadership and guidance to the association and is comprised of municipal officials from across the state. Each board member serves a one-year term.

“Being on the League of Cities’ Board of Directors lets me share the needs of Crestview and our Northwest Florida neighbors with the League as a whole,” said Mayor Whitten. “Florida cities’ concerns and priorities are different across the state, so my holding this position helps us get ours to the forefront.”

FORT WALTON BEACH

2021 State of the City Address by Mayor Dick Rynearson

Fort Walton Beach Mayor Dick Rynearson delivers his 2021 State of the City Address, reflecting on the city’s accomplishments over the past year and setting the tone for the future.

Click here to watch

DESTIN

The City of Destin issues a Notice of Proposed Tax Increase

The City of Destin issues a Notice of Proposed Tax Increase due to new residences becoming occupied and to property values increasing.

The current Millage Rate of 1.615 went into effect on October 1, 2015. The City of Destin proposes the same millage rate for FY22.

• Due to the rise of property values going up this equates to 3.75% increase in ad valorem revenues for the City of Destin.
• This helps cover increased labor and contracted service costs, according to the city.

Under Florida Law 193.155, properties are allowed a limit on the amount the assessed value may increase each year, known as the homestead Save Our Homes (SOH) 3% cap and the non-homestead 10% cap.

• Overtime, these caps can reduce the amount of property taxes paid as they are calculated on assessed value.

The City of Destin has tentatively adopted a measure to increase its property tax levy. Last year’s property tax levy:

• Initially proposed tax levy – $9,180,065
• Less tax reductions due to Value Adjustment Board and other assessment changes – $ (4,022)
• Actual property tax levy – $9,184,087

This year’s proposed tax levy – $9,824,917

All concerned citizens are invited to attend a public hearing on the tax increase to be held on Monday, September 20, 2021, 6:00 P.M. at the Destin City Hall Annex, located at 4100 Indian Bayou Trail, Destin, FL 3254.

A FINAL DECISION on the proposed tax increase and the budget will be made at this hearing.

ELECTION

Okaloosa County discusses the Bed-Tax Expansion election hitting mailboxes this week

Okaloosa County is moving forward with the countywide expansion of the Bed-Tax District. The election will be a mail-in ballot only election, with ballots hitting mailboxes this week.

Currently, 62 of the 67 counties in the State of Florida have a bed-tax.

• This bed-tax can be anywhere between 2% – 6% of overnight hotel stays when people are staying at hotels, vacation rentals, condos, and even campgrounds.
• Okaloosa County only levies the bed-tax on the south end of the county.
• You only pay the tax if you have an overnight stay.

According to Okaloosa County, 58 counties in the State of Florida levy a bed-tax countywide.

“We’re one of the few counties who only have it in a certain portion of the county,” said April Sarver, Public Information Officer for Okaloosa. “The County Commissioners approved a mail-in ballot for the citizens of Okaloosa County, so that they can decide if that tax should be levied countywide instead of just in the south end.”

There are certain things that the revenue collected from the bed-tax can pay for, and it can only pay for things that are in the area it’s been collected from.

• For example, since the bed-tax district is not countywide, tax dollars collected in Fort Walton Beach cannot be used to improve one of the parks in Niceville.

“One major thing to remember is the fact that these funds can only be used in the Destin & South Fort Walton Beach area,” explained Sarver. “Our entire county does have tourism. We have tourists that come through Niceville, they come through Crestview, to get to the south-end of the county. There are even opportunities in Crestview for eco-tourism that can be expanded with bed-tax dollars.”

For the Tourist Development Department, expanding the district would mean expanding the promotion of tourism to not be all about the beaches. The plan would be to expand the promotion to more of a year-round destination.

“We’ve heard the concerns about more traffic, and nobody wants more traffic on the roads, but with tourism management, that tourism can be spread out year-round and in other destinations than just on Highway 98,” continued Sarver.

What is the bed-tax revenue allowed to pay for?

The basic answer is: Anything that is related to tourism.

“Say there’s a boat ramp in the north-end of the county that tourists could potentially use to do some eco-tourism. That boat ramp could be improved with bed-tax dollars,” said Sarver. “The parks can be improved, our waterways conservation efforts, along with public safety can all be improved and funded with these bed-tax dollars.”

What do know about participating in the election.

Residents outside of the current taxing district can expect ballots to arrive in mailboxes after September 15th.

• Crestview
• Baker
• Laurel Hill
• Niceville
• Shalimar
• Parts of Fort Walton Beach

The ballot has to be returned to the Supervisor of Elections by October 5th.

• Ballots can be returned via mail, or delivered in-person.
• There are instructions on the ballot when you receive it in the mail.

“It’s important to understand what you’re voting on,” said Sarver. “This is a way to increase the revenue that can be used for infrastructure, not necessarily new roads in neighborhoods, but for facilities, parks, maintenance, and capital improvements.”

For more info on the upcoming election, head to MyOkaloosa.com.

NICEVILLE

Those ‘dam’ beavers causing flooding in Niceville

It seems that Beavers continue to take up refuge in several drain pipes along Bayshore drive in Niceville and have created some serious roadway and flooding issues for people who live there – as well as the Niceville Public Works Department. 

This past week, Coastal Critter Removal, who does this kind of work for the city, removed two beavers from a sewer pipe under a road they dammed up on Bayshore Drive near Rue De Palms Drive, right next to the discharge basin for Swift Creek. 

Beavers (nature’s engineers) haven’t been super helpful to the city in the last couple of years.

• They have repeatedly clogged up sewer pipes and other water outlets to Tom’s Bayou – causing flooding and damage that have created headaches for the city crews that maintain roads and other ‘critter’-cal infrastructure around the city. 

Once the beavers are caught the contractor releases them to an area where they won’t do damage to infrastructure. 

• But the work isn’t over for city employees once the animals are gone. They have to get into the pipe and clear out all of the refuse the beavers left behind. 
• This is the second time this has happened this year. City employees busted another dam on 27th street, according to public works director Jonathon Laird. 

🗣 Story from Christopher Saul

MO’ READS

What else we are reading…

• CRESTVIEW: While the city’s millage rate is anticipated to stay the same in the new budget year, city water and sewer rates for residential customers will increase by 8% starting next month, according to the Crestview Bulletin.

• Walton County commissioners have approved an ordinance establishing a year-long pilot program for e-scooter rentals, according to the Walton Sun.

• Eglin Air Force Base allegedly received a bomb threat from an airman on Sunday. WEAR Channel 3 reports that the airman who allegedly texted the threat targeting The Breeze Dining facility is assigned to the 96th Test Wing.