By Bart Steele on August 14, 2017
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, ASPCA, cats, dogs, Dora Thomason, pets, Santa Rosa County Animal Services, shelters
Government, Lifestyle/Leisure, Pets, Santa Rosa County
Americans who wish to bring home a furry friend are faced with a multitude of choices. Fluffy the Norwegian forest cat might come from a close friend burdened by debt. Teddy the poodle may be found at a recommended breeder, and Fido the mutt just might jump into your arms from the pens at a […]
By Staff Reporters on July 13, 2017
Advanced County Commissioner, Education program, Florida, Florida Association of Counties, leadership program, Local Government, Rob Williamson, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County Commissioner Rob Williamson
Santa Rosa County
The Florida Association of Counties (FAC) presented Board of County Commissioners Chairman Rob Williamson with the Advanced County Commissioner designation following his completion of a study program developed by FAC. Read the full article in the July 13 issue of Navarre Press. Subscribe online at navarrepress.com for as little as $38 per year.
By Jamie Gentry on June 8, 2017
Angie Lee, April Sarver, bed tax collections, Commissioner Rob Williamson, Days Inn and Suites of Navarre, Julie Morgan, Kristen Iversen, Kyle Holley, Navarre Beach, Norm Crowder, Paradise Advertising, Resort Quest by Wyndam, Santa Rosa County, SpringHill Suites, Tom Merrick, Tourism marketing, Tourist Development Council, Vacation destination
Local, Santa Rosa County
While bed tax collections are up for another month, the board responsible for making recommendations on how to spend that money is shrinking. Attendance at Tourist Development Council board and committee meetings has been spotty. Nearly half the board is absent at any given time, and Commissioner Rob Williamson, who serves on the board, has […]
By Rob Johnson on May 18, 2017
Attorney Roy Andrews, Commissioner Lane Lynchard, Commissioner Sam Parker, Community workshops, Dan Schebler, Dean Easterwood, Ed Carson, Florida's Sunshine Law, half-cent local option sales tax, James Calkins, Local-Option Sales Tax, LOST, LOST revenue, Moving Santa Rosa Forward, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners, Scott Kemp, Tamara Fountain, taxes
Local, Santa Rosa County
Although a citizens group is supposed to oversee how the county’s new half-cent local option sales tax is spent, some members of that panel say the real decisions are being made without their input. Read the full article in the May 18 issue of Navarre Press. Subscribe online at navarrepress.com for as little as $38 […]
By Jamie Gentry on February 16, 2017
Commission Chairman Rob Williamson, Commissioner Lane Lynchard, County Administrator Tony Gomillion, drainage improvements, Ed Carson, First responders' communications radio, half-cent local option sales tax, Jonathan Kanzigg, LOST committee, Moving Santa Rosa Foward, Navarre, Public Safety, Radio tower, RESTORE BP Oil funds, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners, Santa Rosa County Firefighters Association, Santa Rosa County voters, Scott Kemp, Surtax Oversight Committee, Tamara Fountain
Local, Santa Rosa County
Debate over what projects will be funded and who decides on those projects left the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) without a clear path forward for the estimated $39.5 million to be collected on the half cent local option sales tax, or LOST, Tuesday following the board’s annual Planning Workshop. Read the full article in […]
By Jamie Gentry on February 15, 2017
Discretionary Sales Surtax Clearing Trust Fund, drainage improvements, half-cent local option sales tax, Holley by the Sea, Jayne Bell, Local-Option Sales Tax, LOST, navarre sports complex, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County Administrator Tony Gomillion, Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners, Santa Rosa County Commissioners, Santa Rosa County courthouse
Headlines, Santa Rosa County
While county commissioners and staff are still sorting out the half-cent local option sales tax (LOST) issues, there is clarity on when the county will have those dollars in hand. Read the full article in the Feb. 16 issue of Navarre Press. Subscribe online at navarrepress.com for as little as $38 per year.
By Staff Reporters on January 12, 2017
Administrative complex, Judge Colie Nichols, Milton, oath of office, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County Tax Collector, Stan Colie Nichols
Local, Santa Rosa County
Santa Rosa Tax Collector Stan Colie Nichols officially began his third term Tuesday evening as he took his official oath of office. Sworn in by his father, Judge Colie Nichols, he was joined by friends, family and co-workers for the oath of office ceremony in the County Commissioners board room of the administrative complex in […]
By Jamie Gentry on November 24, 2016
budget, Chief Deputy Bubba Drinkard, Computer Assisted Appraisal System, Distinguished Jurisdictional Award, Internatinal Association of Assessor's Offices, Paper records, paperless system, Property Appraiser Greg Brown, property tax forms, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser, taxpayer dollars
Local, Santa Rosa County
The Property Appraiser’s Office handed back a check for more than $231,000 to Santa Rosa County Tuesday, Nov. 7, after it came in under its allotted budget for 2015-16. The amount of taxpayer dollars that were not spent by the appraiser’s office accounts for roughly 12 percent of the office’s overall budget Chief Deputy Bubba […]
By Gail Acosta on November 17, 2016
absentee ballots, Constitutional Amendment No. 1, District 1 Rep. Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump, early voting, election, first responders, Florida, Holley Navarre Fire District, Homestead Tax Exemption, medical marijuana, northwest florida, presidential election, Property tax exemptions, Republican, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County voters, South Milton, Supervisor of Elections Tappie Villane, Tappie Villane, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, voters, Voting precinct
Local, Santa Rosa County
Voters of Santa Rosa county turned out to vote in numbers not seen since the 2008 General Election, and before that you have to go all the way back to 1984 when the voter turnout was 70.28 percent of all registered voters. In this 2016 election the percentage was 68.04. In a heated presidential race […]
By Jamie Gentry on November 17, 2016
City of Milton wastewater treatment plant, Commissioner Bob Cole, Commissioner Don Salter, Commissioner Layne Lynchard, Commissioner Rob Williamson, Commissioner Sam Parker, Highway 90, industrial parks, infrastructures, Judge Robert Hilliard, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County Board of County Comissioners, Santa Rosa County Commissioners, swearing-in ceremony
Local, Santa Rosa County
Newly sworn-in District 1 County Commissioner Sam Parker said he would work to improve infrastructure and promote business in county industrial parks Tuesday, Nov. 15, during the swearing-in ceremony for the Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners. Parker said he was humbled to be given the opportunity to serve and he takes that weight […]
By Jamie Gentry on November 3, 2016
Donald Trump, DS 200 machine, early voting, Election Day, National media attention, Paper ballot, Poll workers, Santa Rosa County, Supervisor of Elections Tappie Villane, Voter fraud, voters, Voting precincts
Santa Rosa County
As Election Day looms ever closer and early voting winds to a close, suspicions of voter fraud are on the forefront of many minds. The issue has received massive amounts of national media attention in the wake of statements by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump saying that millions of fraudulent votes would be cast against […]
By Staff Reporters on October 28, 2016
Avalon Fire District, Commissiner Rob Wiliamson, Commission Chair Lane Lynchard, Commissioner Don Salter, Holley Navarre Fire District, Midway Fire District, Northwest Florida Water Management District, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners, Santa Rosa County residents, Santa Rosa County Tax Collector, Stan Colie Nichols, Unspent revenue
Local, Santa Rosa County
Since 2009 when Stan Colie Nichols first took office as Tax Collector of Santa Rosa County, he has been giving unspent revenues back to various county agencies and taxing authorities representing the citizens of the county. Read the full article in the Oct. 27 issue of Navarre Press. Click here to subscribe for as little […]
By Gail Acosta on October 21, 2016
Commisioner Don Salter, Commissioner Lane Lynchard, Commissioner Sam Parker, County Administrator Tony Gomillion, drainage improvements, Ed Carson, Half-penny sales tax, Infrastructure Surtax Citizen Committee, January 2017, Jayer Williamson, LOST, Moving Santa Rosa Forward, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners, Transportation improvements
Santa Rosa County
Collection of a half-penny sales tax in Santa Rosa County will begin in January of next year, but appointment of the oversight committee for the LOST has been delayed until weeks before that collection. The Infrastructure Surtax Citizen Committee (ISCC) will look at spending of the estimated $35 million of revenue generated by the half-penny […]
By Jamie Gentry on September 15, 2016
Alice Brupbacher, Beckie Cato, Commissioner Bob Cole, County variances, Emily Spencer, government, Greg Scoville, Milton, Santa Rosa Board of County Commissioners, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa county Zoning Board, University of Florida
Local, Santa Rosa County
The Board of County Commissioners appointed a new member to the county zoning board Sept. 8 during their regular meeting. Greg Scoville, an experienced building planner, was selected to fill the vacant Zoning Board District 2 seat by Commissioner Bob Cole after the seat sat vacant for six months. “I’m a native of Santa Rosa […]
By Jamie Gentry on September 14, 2016
Caleb Boudreaux, Chuck Miller, elections, Florida, Florida Gov. Rick Scott, government, Jayer Williamson, Martin Simmons, Republican, Sam Mullins, Sam Parker, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County Commissioner, Santa Rosa County courthouse, Santa Rosa County Republican Executive Committee, Sen. Greg Evers
Headlines, Santa Rosa County
Republican nominee Sam Parker is the only candidate left standing for the District 1 County Commissioner’s seat after write-in candidate Caleb Boudreaux dropped out Sept. 1. If he had defeated Boudreaux in the general election he would have taken office Nov. 15 at the end of previous commissioner Jayer Williamson’s term, but the seat is […]
By Jamie Gentry on September 8, 2016
April Sarver, Avalon Boulevard, Cedar Homes, Davis South Barnett and Patrick Relations and Advertising, Evok Advertising, Florida, Julie Morgan, Kyle Holley, Lagerheads on the Gulf, Larry Meador, marketing, Marketing company, Maxi Media Group, Meredith South, Milton, Norm Crowder, Paradise Advertising, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County Board of Commissioners, Santa Rosa County Chamber of Commerce, Santa Rosa County Development Board, Stewart Hill, Tourism Development Committee, Toursim marketing, Volleyball Tournament Championship
Local, Santa Rosa County
After hearing three 30-plus minutes of presentations Sept. 1, the Santa Rosa County Tourism Development Board ranked advertising and marketing company Davis, South, Barnett and Patrick Public Relations and Advertising (DSBP) as their top pick for managing marketing of the county’s tourism for the next three years. DSBP has been working with the county for […]
By Rob Johnson on September 8, 2016
Capital projects, Career Source Florida, Commissioner Sam Parker, Florida's Office of Economic and Demographic Research, Half-penny sales tax, infrastructure improvements, Jayne Bell, law enforcement, property taxes, Public Safety, Rod Lewis, sales tax annual revenue, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County Budget, Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office, tax, Tourist Season, tourists, Zika Virus
Local, Santa Rosa County
Santa Rosa County will be $5.1 million richer in the fiscal year starting Oct. 1, but not at the expense of property owners. That’s because of the half-penny sales tax to pay for various infrastructure improvements that was approved by county voters on Aug. 30. Although the new tax is expected to bring in about […]
By Rob Johnson on August 25, 2016
Attorney Roy Andrews, capping fees, delinquent lease fees, foreclosure, Larry Jones, Navarre Beach, Navarre Beach Leaseholders, rental property, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County Commissioners, Sunset Harbour Villas condominium, Tony Gomillion
Local, Santa Rosa County
Santa Rosa County is trying to give about 400 Navarre Beach leaseholders some incentive to pay their delinquent lease fees by imposing a deadline. But the measure recommended to commissioners by County Attorney Roy Andrews lacks teeth. Instead, meeting the county’s new Nov. 1 deadline to catch up on overdue lease fees – which in […]
By Jamie Gentry on June 10, 2016
Advise, Alan Isaacson, Beckie Cato, Bill Seelmann, Board of County Commissioners, Business, Colten Wright, don richards, environmental protection, Jeremy Reeder, Jim Waite, land use, Local Government, Lonnie Hawkins, Milton, Robin Edwards, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County Commissioners, Santa Rosa County residents, Santa Rosa county Zoning Board, Scott Kemp, zoning board, Zoning codes
Santa Rosa County
Created in 2011, the Santa Rosa County Zoning Board governs how land is used in Santa Rosa County. Whether building a grocery store in a neighborhood or digging a pit in the backyard, you will likely have to fill out a request with the Zoning Board. The board consists of two members for each district […]
By Rob Johnson on April 14, 2016
Board of County Commissioners, BOCC, BOCC meetings, Brandi Whitehurst, Commissioner Rob Williamson, county expense trips, Facebook, Florida, Florida's Sunshine Law, Guidelines and recordkeeping practices, Navarre Press, new procedure, personal social media venues, public information officer, Pulic documents, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County citiziens, Santa Rosa County Comissioners, social media, social media policy
Local, Santa Rosa County
Santa Rosa County will step up its oversight of commissioners’ social media use by creating official Facebook pages for them. The move is being initiated by the county’s new public information officer Brandi Whitehurst, in the wake of her efforts to obtain a copy of Commissioner Rob Williamson’s written report about details of his recent […]
By Rob Johnson on March 10, 2016
Adventures Unlimited, bed-tax revenue, County Tourism Officials, District 4 Commissioner Rob Williamson, District 5 Commissioner Lane Lynchard, financial commitment, Florida Sports Foundation, host pre-party, Jack Sanborn, Juana's Pagodas, Kate Fitzpatrick, Kevin Rudzki, Liz Horton, lodging room stays, military-style obstacle course, Milton, Navarre, public funds, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County beaches, Santa Rosa County Commissioners, Santa Rosa taxpayer money, Shannon Ogletree, TDC, Tough Mudder, tourist attractions, Tourist Development Council, Wounded Warrior Project, Wyndham Resorts
Local, Santa Rosa County, Tough Mudder
Despite being given $80,000 in Santa Rosa taxpayer money as an incentive to stage its military-style obstacle course near Milton, Tough Mudder Inc. is apparently reneging on its contractual agreement to host a pre-event party. County tourism officials and commissioners thought they had negotiated the for-profit, New York-based company’s financial support for a party on […]
By Rob Johnson on February 18, 2016
Board of County Commissioners, BOCC staff, Brandi Whitehurst, citizen of Santa Rosa County, Commissioner Bob Cole, Commissioner Lane Lynchard, communications venues, County Attorney Roy Andrews, county employees, county issues, Cragin Mosteller, District 4 Commissioner Rob Williamson, elected commissioners, elected officials, escambia county, Facebook, Florida Association of Counties, Florida Bar, Florida Sunshine Law, Florida's Public Records Law, government accountability, government matters, government roles, Guidelines and recordkeeping practices, Jayer Williamson District 1, Navarre Press, private communications, public officials, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County Commissioners, Santa Rosa's social media policies, social media, social networking
Santa Rosa County
Santa Rosa County’s guidelines and record-keeping practices for its officials’ use of social media fall short of the standards recommended by the Florida Bar that have been adopted by some other counties, including Escambia. Read the full article in the Feb. 18 issue of Navarre Press. Click HERE to subscribe for as little as $38 […]
By Gail Acosta on February 11, 2016
Board of County Commissioners, Budget Director Jayne Bell, Commission Chairman Lane Lynchard, Commissioner Rob Williamson, County Commissioner Bob Cole, county projects, Easty Bay Boulevard, five-year plan, gas-tax projects, Gulf Breeze, Navarre, North Santa Rosa, paving, road resurfacing, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County Commissioners, Santa Rosa County residents, South Santa Rosa, Stephen Furman, taxpayer dollards
Local, Santa Rosa County
Commissioners want residents of Santa Rosa County to see tangible results from the gas tax that was implemented Jan. 1. Read the full article in the Feb. 11 issue of Navarre Press. Click HERE to subscribe for as little as $38 per year.
By Gail Acosta on January 28, 2016
Amy Alexander, Anit-Drug Abuse Act, cocaine, Congress, drug trafficking, Drug-enforcement funding, drug-related activities, drug-trafficking threat, escambia county, Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, Gulf CoastHIDTA, harmful impact, heroin, I-10, illegal drugs, Interstate 10, marijuana, Methamphetamine, Northern District of Florida office, pharmaceuticals, Rich Aloy, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office, SRSO, synthetic drugs, Tony Soto, violent crimes, wiretap intercept center, wiretap resources
Crime, Santa Rosa County
The I-10 corridor flows through Santa Rosa County, and unfortunately, that means illegal drugs may as well. The proximity of the corridor and other criteria led to Santa Rosa County being added to the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program. There are 32 such programs across the United States, including Hawaii, and in […]
By Staff Reporters on January 21, 2016
Aleta Floyd, Beckie Cato, Brad Baker, Brandi Whitehurst, experience in pubic relations, Hunter Walker, informs residents, initiatives, manages website and social media, marketing experience, Meeting, PIO, policies, programs, promotes awareness of the county's mission, public information officer, Public Involvement Coordinator, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County Board of Commissioners, Sarah Whitfield, Tony Gomillion, West Florida Regional Planning Council
Santa Rosa County
Brandi Whitehurst was approved to be the new public information officer for the county at the Jan. 14 Santa Rosa County Board of Commissioners’ meeting. The PIO is responsible for promoting awareness of the county’s mission, programs, policies and initiatives to residents of the county and the media. Whitehurst’s employment began Jan. 19. According to […]
By Rob Johnson on January 21, 2016
County officials, economic impact, Enterprise Florida, escambia county, failure to negotiate, Florida Sports Foundation, Grant money reduced, Lisa Osteen, military-style endurance event, Milton, obstacle course, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County hotels, Santa Rosa tourism taxes, SRC, state grant funding, TDC, Tough Mudder, Tough Mudder incentives, Tourist Development Council
Events, Santa Rosa County, Tough Mudder
The state grant funding sought by Santa Rosa County to promote Tough Mudder Inc.’s military-style endurance event in April will be limited to about one-third of the requested $30,000. “It’s based on the state funds we have available this year through Enterprise Florida and the other grant requests that we have,” said Lisa Osteen, director […]
By Rob Johnson on January 14, 2016
Adventures Unlimited, Alan Lowery, Art Festival, bed-tax spending, churlish minority, council members, County Comissioner Rob Williamson, dredging, economic impact, economic value, empty hotel rooms, financial support, grant requests, hospitality industry veterans, Jack Sanborn, lost wages, Milton, Navarre Beach, Navarre Beach Renourishment Project, public commission meeting, reschedule beach work, sand restoration project, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County Arts and Culture Foundation, santa rosa county tourism development council, TDC, Tough Mudder, tourism events, tourism issues, Tourism leaders, tourism panel, Vacation Season, volunteer members, Weeks Marine Inc.
Santa Rosa County
The discord between District 4 County Commissioner Rob Williamson and some hospitality industry veterans has surfaced for the fourth time since November and made him a sometimes churlish minority of one on the Santa Rosa County Tourism Development Council. Williamson, appointed to the council last year by his fellow commissioners, has broken with most the […]
By Rob Johnson on December 24, 2015
Adventures Unlimited, advertising, approval, bed tax money, commission, condominiums, controversial contracts, costs, discount rooms, economic impact, escambia county, expenses, fees, final contract, financial demands, financial support, Hoteliers, Hotels, Jack Sanborn, Kate Fitzpatrick, Liz Horton, Lodging demands, Milton, Navarre, Navarre Beach, Negotiable, North Santa Rosa, Okaloosa County, overnight stays, revenue, Rob Williamson, room managers, Santa Rosa County, santa rosa county tourism development council, South Santa Rosa, Tax dollars, taxpayers, TDC, Tough Mudder, tourism, tourism industry leaders, tourists, Wyndham Vacation Rentals
Events, Santa Rosa County, Tough Mudder
Tough Mudder Inc. blinked. Under questioning from a prospective lodging “partner” about the company’s recent financial demands in return for promoting Santa Rosa County overnight stays at its event scheduled here next April, a company executive now says its fees are negotiable. A month after sending out controversial contracts to area hotels and condominium managers […]
By Rob Johnson on December 17, 2015
Commissioner Rob Williamson, competition, Concerns, contract, economic impact, economy, endurance event, for profit, fund strategy, Hoteliers, Incentives, Kate Fitzpatrick, Kyle Holley, Lane Lynchard, Liz Horton, local bed tax collectors, Local Businesses, lodging facilities, Milton, Navarre, New York Company, North Santa Rosa, room discounts, Santa Rosa County, santa rosa county tourism development council, SRC, stakeholders, state grant, T.J. Goulet, taxpayer money, TDC, Tough Mudder, Tourism leaders, Wyndham Vacation Rentals
Santa Rosa County, Tough Mudder
Following doubts expressed by area tourism leaders on the value of the Tough Mudder Inc. military-style endurance event scheduled for next April, District 4 Commissioner Rob Williamson is stepping in before Santa Rosa County signs a contract with the New York company. In a Dec. 3 email to Kate Fitzpatrick, a Tough Mudder senior director, […]
By Rob Johnson on December 17, 2015
BP oil spill, Commissioner Bob Cole, County Administrator, county staff, Don Salter, drafting annual budget, Farewell, federal and state emergency personnel, government, Great Recession, Hunter Walker, hurricanes, leadership, managed total money collected, Rebuilt Santa Rosa County, retirement, Santa Rosa County, Santa Rosa County Comission, Sheila Bowman, Tony Gomillion, two-decade tenure, U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller's Office
Local, Santa Rosa County
After attending more than 400 meetings of the Santa Rosa County Commission and working as its chief executive officer since 1995, Hunter Walker was honored at his retirement ceremony last week. The commissioners gave him a plaque, gathered for a group photo, patted him on the back and said fond farewells. Commissioner Bob Cole, who […]
