Editorial Archive

Residents in the southeast corner of Santa Rosa County regularly debate two evergreen questions: Should some combination of Navarre, Navarre Beach and Holley incorporate? And second, should the county dredge a channel to the Gulf of Mexico?

In February, Santa Rosa County commissioners approved letting RaceTrac install underground fuel storage tanks in a wellfield zone that supplies clean drinking water to about 100,000 residents. On Monday, Commissioner Colten Wright, who voted to approve the variance allowing the tanks, proposed updating the wellfield protection ordinance to address issues raised during the RaceTrac debate – including what to do about existing underground tanks in the area.

Did Santa Rosa County compromise the integrity of its water protection zone by approving a variance to allow RaceTrac to install underground storage tanks at a station on State Road 87? We don’t think so, but the unpopular decision raises some questions about how the county manages its various overlay districts.

“In Santa Rosa County, our sense of safety is a testament to the dedication and hard work of my men and women in uniform and the other First Responders, whose partnerships we greatly appreciate and depend on. Yet, this safety net faces a critical threat—one that originates from unsurmountable growth within our county.

Bless his cotton-pickin’ heart. James Calkins must lay awake nights trying to think of ways to get attention.

The Navarre Community Access Road kickoff meeting last week at Tiger Point Community Center seems only to have added to confusion about the project and its purpose.

With all due respect to Jorgenson, Collins identified in five months critical challenges facing the city that Jorgenson – in five years as city manager – at best didn’t recognize, at least didn’t report, and at worst helped create.

Should the Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners invest in buying and flying the largest U.S. flag in Florida? Absolutely.

If the City of Milton decides it can’t build its new wastewater treatment plant, Santa Rosa County will have to step in to provide services for the rapidly growing East Milton area.

“Truth is our currency.” That is the first, most basic and foundational core value prescribed by our parent company, Sandpaper Publishing. We explain it this way: “We must know the truth to make good decisions. The same with our community – they must know the truth. Admit mistakes quickly so we can deal with them.”