County Commissioners, builders, citizens and stakeholders got their first look last week at the complete rewrite of one Santa Rosa’s most important governing documents. The new Land Development Code is roughly 444 pages long, taking reference from Panama City’s codes and hundreds of citizen comments. The rewrite was launched by Planning and Zoning Director […]
From dog parks to road flooding, residents of Navarre made their concerns and questions known to county officials Saturday morning during the final Your County-Your Priorities Workshop at the Navarre Beach Visitor Information Center. County Administrator Dan Schebler said more than 30 people attended the Navarre workshop. While that is less than 0.075% of Navarre’s […]
While the Santa Rosa County Commission boardroom was packed twice last week over a pro-life resolution, another item largely flew under the radar–and it is costing taxpayers at least $77,209. Price estimates for site work on the new county courthouse on Avalon Boulevard are more than $3.1 million, bringing the total preconstruction cost to roughly […]
Citizens of Santa Rosa County got a chance to balance the government budget for themselves Feb. 4 during the Your County-Your Priorities Workshop at the Milton Auditorium. During the activity, participants were asked to make monetary allocations to each portion of the expenses of the county based on the county’s actual income. County Administrator Dan […]
County Commission Chairman Don Salter was called a coward more than a few times Monday as citizens spoke out against blocking a pro-life resolution from the board’s meeting agenda. The Sanctuary for Life resolution was submitted for placement on the agenda by Commissioner Bob Cole, but as chairman, Salter makes the final decision on such […]
The Gulf Breeze area now has two candidates vying to be their representation in county government, after current District 5 County Commissioner Lane Lynchard officially filed paperwork with the Supervisor of Election’s last week. Lynchard, a Gulf Breeze lawyer, has served as the District 5 representative for three terms, starting back in 2008. He said […]
Plans to build a Firestone tire store in Navarre and an RV resort with a waterpark on Highway 87 both got the green light Jan. 23 from county commissioners during their monthly Special Rezoning meeting. The planned Firestone location is part of a larger 19-acre Aldi grocery store and commercial complex planned near the corner […]
Under the theme “Your county – your priorities,” Santa Rosa County will host a series of workshops across the county seeking feedback on budget priorities. The five workshops will be held in each of the five commissioner districts. County Administrator Dan Schebler said the tour through the county is specifically aimed at meeting the citizens […]
Planned construction of a tire store in Navarre cleared another hurdle Jan. 9 as the Zoning Board unanimously recommended approving the use. The planned Firestone location is part of a larger 19-acre Aldi grocery store and commercial complex planned near the corner of Ortega Street and U.S. Highway 98. Also included in conceptual site plans […]
Santa Rosa County is set to take on a $35 million loan for construction of a new courthouse on Avalon Boulevard, with an expected interest payment of $13 million over 20 years. Commissioners voted Jan. 9 to pursue Synovus Bank’s offer as the best option of the six tax-exempt, fixed rate, non-bank qualified loan offers […]
Volunteers of animal advocacy group A HOPE celebrated a victory Dec. 12 after county commissioners gave them the thumbs-up to open a low-cost spay and neuter clinic. The nonprofit was seeking a conditional use to allow it to build a low-cost spay and neuter clinic in Milton on a 25-acre parcel off Pine Blossom Road.
Santa Rosa County will likely be trying to pass a new local option sales tax on the November 2020 general election ballot based on discussion from the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) oversight committee’s Dec. 3 meeting. In an October special election, county commissioners asked voters to approve increasing the current LOST from a half […]
With exactly a week to go before their first meeting and just hours after their official hiring, the members of the newly seated Zoning Board got a crash course in public service Nov. 14 at the Tiger Point Community Center. The Zoning Board is one of many county committees composed of citizen appointees, helping in […]
When Don Salter was first elected to the Santa Rosa Board of County Commissioners in 2000, the issue at the forefront was replacing the aging courthouse in downtown Milton. A little less than 20 years later, Salter and his fellow commissioners ceremonially broke ground Nov. 13 on the site of a new courthouse, turning dirt […]
For fiscal year 2018-19, the Santa Rosa County Clerk of Court and Comptroller Donald C. Spencer returned unspent revenues of $867,269 to the Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners. This makes the seventh consecutive year since taking office, Spencer has returned unspent revenues to the county commission totaling $3,030,425 over that time. “Through fiscal […]
The Santa Rosa County property appraiser’s website has a new look, new features and a lower price tag thanks to a revamp launched Oct. 1. But county Property Appraiser Greg Brown said the initial reception has not been entirely warm. Change is hard, Brown said, and the website, especially its property record features, are widely […]
In all but one precinct of voting, a proposed one cent local option sales tax for Santa Rosa County failed to pass Oct. 8. For the County Commissioners who had championed the tax to tackle deteriorated infrastructure and mounting sheriff’s office requests, the result was a wake-up call. After dozens of public hearings in which citizens […]
Fears that commercial developments would one day be built in the heart of the Navarre Beach Marine Park are coming to an end Thursday as county commissioners officially accept donation of $2 million worth of waterfront property. The nonprofit Trust for Public Land has been working on and off for years to secure purchase of […]
Much of the operations at Juarez M&M Construction in Navarre will have to shut down after county commissioners voted not to change land requirements for property along Constitution Drive Sept. 26 during their Special Rezoning meeting. Neighbor Ron Millis said it is about time something gets done. Read the full article in the Oct. […]
Santa Rosa County is set to approve its largest budget in more than 15 years, but County Commissioners say that’s not the whole story. The board unanimously approved Sept. 12 a roughly $178 million tentative budget for fiscal year 2020. The final public hearing and budget adoption is set for Sept. 24. Read the full […]
Layout of the interior of a new $45 million county courthouse was revealed to Santa Rosa County commissioners last week as the project inches forward. Jay Smith of Ajax Building, one of a handful of companies tasked with designing the new facility, told commissioners Sept. 9 that the project is proceeding on schedule. Read […]
Amid continued complaints from small-business owners, County Commissioner Bob Cole called for some accounting in the planning and building departments Monday during the board’s regularly scheduled meeting. Cole pointed to reports of lengthy delays, continued confusion and changing expectations from projects seeking to get off the ground. Read the full article in the Sept. […]
Santa Rosa County Commissioners are pushing hard for an additional half cent sales tax to be added to purchases within Santa Rosa County, but that will be up to the voters to decide Oct. 8. Sample ballots have been mailed and registration books closed for a countywide special election on the issue. Read the […]
A comprehensive rewrite of the Santa Rosa County Land Development Code gained weigh in from residents of south Santa Rosa Aug. 15 during a public open house at Tiger Point Community Center. County staff lined up at information tables as roughly 24 citizens made their rounds to ask questions and formally propose changes to one […]
County commissioners moved forward Monday with a proposal to allow dogs on a portion of Navarre Beach’s Santa Rosa Sound coastline. Under the proposed ordinance, owners would pay an annual fee of $30 to allow their dogs on a stretch of the beach near the water tower on White Sands Boulevard between 4 p.m. and […]
It was standing room only again July 25 as the Board of County Commissioners took up contentious development proposals previously vetted by the Zoning Board. Among the issues on the docket for the commission’s Special Rezoning meeting were proposals to bring a low-cost spay and neuter clinic to northern Milton, allow a dirt borrow pit […]
Santa Rosa County Commission Chairman Sam Parker, District 1, was recently appointed to the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) board of directors. Commissioner Parker will serve in this role for two years. “I am honored to have the opportunity to serve on the FAC board of directors,” Parker said. “This will allow me to work […]
Santa Rosa County has proposed replacing the current half-cent local sales tax, set to expire in 2021, with a one-cent sales tax for 10 years. Voters will have a chance to approve or deny the tax on a special ballot Oct. 8. Read the full article in the July 25 issue of Navarre Press. […]
Fed up with years of dilapidation across the street, beach residents called on county commissioners Monday during their meeting to amend the Land Development Code (LDC) to prevent future homes from sitting in disrepair for 15 years. Sailmaker Cove president Terry Pierman said the gulf front “Turner House” located at 7315 Gulf Boulevard is an […]
Santa Rosa County will be seeking public input on a revamp of the Land Development Code (LDC) during two public workshops next month. The LDC contains regulations that govern how land is developed in the unincorporated areas of the county and addresses everything from zoning, site development, the natural environment and stormwater management to parking, […]