Jayer Williamson, the youngest son of late Santa Rosa County Commissioner Jim Williamson, was sworn in Monday to the District 1 seat from which his dad retired on the eve of his April 2 death. Governor Rick Scott made the appointment June 18, making Jayer, 35, the third generation of his family to represent the Pace area. His maternal grandfather, W.L. Butler, also served in that office in the 1970s.
For the second year in a row, Santa Rosa County is expecting a slight increase in property tax revenue. The positive two-year trend comes on the heels of six straight years of declining revenue. County officials are gearing up for the budgeting process and announced a projected $2.5 million increase for 2015 at the June 10 pre-budget workshop.
Santa Rosa County commissioners have decided to add a third possible location for a proposed new judicial facility to this year’s ballot. Now voters can choose between buying a $1.4 million site in Pea Ridge, using free land offered in East Milton or constructing a new building behind the current courthouse. Voters will also decide whether or not they want to fund the project through a temporary sales tax.
Santa Rosa County Emergency Management recently upgraded their tool to contact residents with emergency messages. The county is now using GeoCast®Web to send out text messages and emails. With the new system, subscribers can receive messages vie landline, cellphone and voice-over Internet protocol. The system allows the country to make 6,000 communications per hour.
For the fourth year, BooFest returns to The Club at Hidden Creek in Navarre. This year’s event will be held July 25 and 26. Milton native and PGA Tour champ Boo Weekley’s signature annual charity event raises tens of thousands of dollars for nonprofit organizations, including the Air Commandos Association.
The Gulf Breeze City Council voted June 16 to move forward with stormwater projects that can be completed in the short-term, while a citizen-led task force continues to evaluate other long-term solutions. Stormwater Task Force Chairman Ed Gray submitted the project list to council June 11, less than three weeks after the group’s first meeting.
A Navarre man charged with aggravated stalking for allegedly threatening his neighbor is scheduled to appear in court today. Judge John Simon will preside at the motion hearing for 49-year-old Jeffrey Denver Campbell. He was arrested April 14 and faces three felony charges including aggravated stalking, firing a gun into a dwelling, vehicle, building or aircraft and grand theft of a firearm.
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office reported that a second suspect has been arrested in a child abuse case in which an infant was severely beaten in a Milton area park. The report said that 27-year-old Angela Marie Morris of Milton was arrested June 13 and charged with child neglect without great bodily harm and perjury. She remains in the county jail on $22,000 bond.
Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Council (TDC) Director Kate Wilkes has announced she will be retiring effective Aug. 1, 2014. Wilkes notified members of the TDC Board of Directors via a two-sentence email June 11.
A small committee consisting of representatives from the Navarre Beach Fire Department Board of Directors, Navarre Beach Leaseholders and Residents Association (NBLRA) and the Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Council (TDC) is looking to Pensacola Beach for suggestions on how to improve beach safety west of the Navarre Beach Fishing Pier.
