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| The decision to incorporate a large swath of SW Escambia County will be up to the voters that live in that area. It's their decision to make and my only advice to them is this: get informed, ask lots of questions, make a wise decsion, and watch your wallet! |
There's been
a buzz at the end of this past week about a nascent effort by a few folks
to "incorporate" areas of the SW portion of Escambia County into a new
City of “Perdido.”
Looking at the comments on the Studio 850 facebook site’s
post after this article was published-- it appears as if many would be opposed
to this. Not that a few folks posting on
facebook is scientific, though.
People have now asked my opinion about it; I've received a
few emails from a handful of constituents.
I've spoken to state level lawmakers about this topic.
Yes, it's out there as an issue--but it is not the big
issue. The big issues are
overdevelopment, traffic infrastructure, and stormwater. These are the issues constituents come to me
about consistently--particularly in the areas of D1 that are rapidly growing. In fact, I had nearly 350 citizens of this very
area at my two town halls in Perdido over the last year since this portion of
the county reverted to D1 after the redistricting.
And I had lots of good questions from lots of citizens--more
than 120 comment/question cards + verbal questions. Between the two meetings
and out of all the questions (on overdevelopment, traffic, and stormwater)
----I only had one (1) question on this proposed idea of incorporation.
So, for my part, I let my own words speak for my thoughts on
any incorporation, at 1:29:38
of my most recent town hall where I had the one and only question on this topic
posed to me by one of the founders and staunchest supporters of incorporation
(and former Doug Underhill planning board appointee) Tim Pyle. And I gave him my answer, publicly.
Ultimately it will be a decision for those residents to
make, those residents that live in this group's study area. I represent a large portion of that area, and
that will not change even if this effort is successful at some point down the
line—as these areas will still be part of District 1 in Escambia County. And as the only commissioner of five that has
no part of his district within the footprint of an overlapping municipality--in
many respects such an incorporation might make my job easier.
But at the end of the day it is a question for these
citizens-- as they will be the ones seeing higher property tax bills and
perhaps even other added taxes, bond indebtedness, fees, surcharges, and cost
increases to fund an overlapping Perdido municipality-- if this is ultimately
approved.
Now, I'm told that 78% of folks recently surveyed
"approved" of the plan. Really? I have some questions about who was asked and
what question was asked--because a lot of the veracity of a poll's purported
results depend upon whom was polled and precisely how such poll question(s) are
asked. Was it asked of all residents of
the survey/study area? Did it capture
all income demographics? Were owners and
renters asked? Does this plan meet the requirments of 165.061 Florida Statutes? Does this study area even meet the density threshold necessary in state statutes?
Did the poll's questions properly describe the fact that full county taxes, including all fire
and school board millage rate taxes—plus library and sheriff MSTU’s, would
still be collected post any incorporation and that new taxes would be needed to
fund any new municipality's operations/personnel and overlapping services
provided? (i.e., some who support incorporation may be of the mistaken belief
that if they incorporate, they keep the current taxes assessed and collected of
the property tax roll within their boundaries--which is not how this
works. Escambia County still would keep all
the current revenue from the property within the footprint and any new
incorporated municipality would have to raise EXTRA property tax and other
revenue via property rate hikes and generated revenue from within their
boundaries via increases in other taxes, sales taxes, fees, surcharges
etc.----in order to fund their operations.
We [County] also keep all our property and roads and parks and
facilities unless the new municipality purchases these and we agree to such
purchases. In summary—it appears this would amount to a big, giant tax increase, not a
net neutral proposition for current and future property owners and
visitors.) I'm sure there will be many
"ah-ha" moments once those initially expressing support for this plan
realize this financial implication/reality. Or maybe not? Who knows?
Too many questions.
Meanwhile-- some proponents of this incorporation sound glib as they falsely claim on radio interviews
that I stated “I have pledged $20 Million dollars in Discretionary LOST funds for roads in Perdido” (I don’t even have $20 Million in D1 LOST funds, LOL--don't know where they got that number from....) and they also falsely claim I am "just now" discussing the replacement of Fire Station 20 on Bauer Road because they have just publicized their incorporation effort—but the fire station replacement converstaion and effort between me, staff, and the Navy has actually been underway for four and a half years as the county has worked to source multiple sites for this station from the DoD--- and we are now very close to naming the site. Very close.So, these folks should probably get facts from the source before they speak on
issues of which they are obviously unaware.
Meanwhile--I believe their undertaking to garner support for this incorporation will
be Herculean, could take longer than Navarre's effort, and a lot of questions will need to be answered before citizens can even get to a point where they can make an informed decision on this complex ask of them.
My personal belief as a small government, conservative Republican is that more government is rarely the solution to anything. I’m a “less government” guy. More government/Big Government equals more oppressive rules, mandates, taxes, and reductions in property rights. More government equals less liberty. And of course I do not support any tax rate increases year over year (and never have) on my constituents ----- and a plan like this will invariably lead to big tax rate increases so if someone asks my opinion, I will tell them that.
What will it cost, and for what specific benefit? Will be the question I will encourage anyone
in this area to ask before expressing support or opposition on a poll or at the
ballot box.
Meanwhile, as the commissioner for this district I’ll
continue to move forward with sourcing and opening additional public beach
accesses and parking facilities on Perdido Key, working to improve Sorrento Road through advocacy at the TPO with my counterparts on that board, opening a fire station to replace
station #20 in Paradise Beach (which has been in the works for years), and ensuring this area gets the revenue and
resources they deserve and, in many instances, they did not receive in the eight
years prior to the redistricting.
And the rest will be up to the voters, as it always is.
The plan to bring incorporation again, with this particular timing, has been in place since Doug's puppet masters--Dr. Mirabile, the hoteliers, Vicki Campbell, PKA, and Morgan as a willing shill to oust Gene V--handed him their demands for dominion over the island, to unroll over three terms of office.
ReplyDeleteTheir first-term goals included getting DPZ back on the Master Plan and rewriting some elements under direction of key stakeholders; pretending that Doug was going to hold off overdevelopment of the Key (by focusing on blocking towers and hotels, the latter of which was a desire of certain powerful hotelier anyway); getting funding going for the multi-use path (achieved initially by Doug conning the Board into a loan on a state special traffic grant he knew he was never going to get--eventually having to return the money); killing public parking; commencing the divide-and-conquer war against day visitors on the beach; and figuring out how to somehow gift the condo owners with free sand without calling it nourishment (et voila the Perdido Inlet Management Program). Doug was also supposed to begin acquisition of the three contiguous Gulf Side plats--which he of course failed at spectacularly--so that once those plats were in place, they could kill the rest of the public access points and cram the riff-raff cooler draggers into that one spot. This of course included the attempt to sell just the beach portion of Access 4 off to the Seafarer, along with Doug working in cahoots with Dan Brown to kill as much public access to and enjoyment of Johnson Beach as possible, including ripping down a perfectly good gazebo that would have taken very little work to repair. There was also the fake bus route down to Perdido, to "demonstrate" once for all it would never work--by making the end of the line the SW library, having stupid trivia games on the bus, and the coup de grace--offering free gas cards for a route nobody wanted to use because it didn't take them to the beach accesses and the Florabama.
Second-term goals included chipping away at the State's control of PK Drive (with the road swap falling into their lap as a boon), so they could get the roundabout for Mirabile's future development of a town center and Isabella there, and start to tinker with access roads and non-DOT sanctioned trees/flora (it's all in the Master Plan); getting the speed zones down to a Seaside crawl to integrate better with the golf cart and jet ski-tow multi-use path (while blocking public parking for that path and continuing to cancel more public parking wherever they could); securing the mitigation lands at Beach Access 4 for one of Doug's master developers; and priming the pump on Isabella, the town center, the mixed use bordering the west of Heron's Walk, and the towers envisioned to go in adjacent to the National Seashore, to be achieved by a floating bridge once the pesky business standing in the way of that egress finally buckled at sold. (Neighborhoods to the east of Heron's Walk saw what was coming, and got their County road vacated.) On the west side of the island, there was continuing to fool people that nothing better could be done at the Florabama than a pedestrian crossing. In Innerarity, the plan was to close off just as much public access to the water as possible, starting with Bob o Link and Cruzat, and including the horrible Galvez Landing/Innerarity park plan, which attempted to kick the public off the shoreline by the boat ramp and move the children's swimming area into saw grass. (con.)
Third term was supposed to be when the fruits of all of the above labors coalesced, and then it would be time for incorporation, with Doug pretending to be against it by dragging out serial meetings for hours and hours, only to reverse course on some hair-brained nonsense (just as he did per the Sector Plan for one of his development backers, throwing Jacqueline under the bus with it). It won't surprise me if this was also the term for getting their lawyers going on that court case that is the only thing holding the building cap on the Key other than the HCP, so they can start easing the residents into the idea that town centers A, B, C, etc didn't mean there was only going to be *one* selected. As in integrated side note, Doug would parcel off his River Road property and get a zoning change to turn it into a jet ski destination (heads up). Best laid plans; instead, upon the redistricting, Doug immediately made the move to greenlight the development at the base of Theo Baars, knowing it would never come through the BCC, and dumping that along with the rest of the mess he had made into a new commissioner's lap.
ReplyDeleteImagine the frustration of all these powerful people that a handful of unpaid citizen advocates managed to expose all of this to anyone with a brain in their head, slow it down, and stave some off altogether. If only we could have had an impact on some of the overdevelopment, but that's impossible given Escambia County's horrible land development code, lack of concurrency, and negligence of environmental matters in general, and DeSantis's gift to the builders of blocking impact fees on a state level. Also imagine the horrendous neglect of the entire rest of the west side while all this was going on (not to mention a huge part of Doug's attention being up on OLF8, so he could fulfill his development campaign promises up there by using the planning mavens on ECW--epic fail). Or just drive through the real West Side neighborhoods and main drags and feast your eyes on the miles of blight. (con)
As I said at the meeting the other night, ain't none of my business if the residents of Perdido vote to incorporate. But what is EVERYONE'S business is that a result of this potential incorporation is that the Seasiders bounce back and finally win the power to execute their decades-long dream of orchestrating a Magical Perdido Kingdom that once for all renders the island inaccessible for the working class Dick and Jane. Because if they are ultimately able to get accomplished everything they've desired, they might as well slap a gate over Theo Baars Bridge. It pains me so much to see people who are screaming about the loss of beach access and parking from the mountaintops embrace this idea as if it will be a solution to those woes.
ReplyDeleteWho do they think is running this show? The same people driving this are the same people who partnered with Doug to destroy the Key for access in 6 short years, before advocates from outside the Key saw what was going on and stepped in to fix their Doug-worshipping mess. Man, that master-slave dynamic runs strong down there. Wake up, folks: same people, with a Jonathan Jr. slotted in as the forward face, and Vicki Campbell leading the charge while pretending not to (Who, me?) as always.
From where I sit, any person who registers the carnage 6 years of Doug backers doing their worst down there, and is also clamoring for incorporation, is a fool. Of course, there's a pretty high percentage of obstinate knob polishers out there, or their Commissioner Daddy worship wouldn't have overridden him destroying their way of life so quickly. So while your stance on this is totally on-point, Commissioner Bergosh--if that's what the people want--hopefully the people who realize what a disaster the leadership paying for the PowerPoints has already wrought on their backyards. Whatever the case, please do keep marching forward on restoring beach and parking out there, Commissioner Bergosh. And hey, if Senator Broxson feels like this is such a great idea, maybe he can use his power as head of Appropriations to convince DOT to take back that road. It was an absurdity from the get-go, of course, that those two roads had to be pitted to each other in a zero sum game, when they both should be state maintained. (At least the swap got that 125M Doug didn't know about out of his crooked hands.) Or, on the flip side, if the residents down there are hot to incorporate, I'm sure the rest of the citizens of Escambia would be THRILLED to let them take control over PK Drive. Let the newly inaugurated citizens of the municipality of Perdido pay for that road after the next hurricane, after their Mayor-Makers gifted it off to the North County so they could toss up some royal palms. Word to the wise: anyone thinking having a mayor will solve the overdevelopment problems out there--which literally makes me sick to my stomach, as well--better drive through the Tanyards and see the heritage oak carnage for ticky-tack boxes before they buy into the idea that a municipality is going to save the island from chainsaws and flooding. :(
Melissa- legit question here, no intended as an insult. You think Mirabile is trying to make PK more exclusive? As a resident it doesn't feel that way. It feels like the key is devolving and he's a huge part of the reason why. Other than his gulf-front endeavors, everything he's put forth is garbage; awful cookie-cutter construction that in the case of Serenity, eats up all of Beach Access 2 and 3 parking thanks to the cars of the renters. He's destroyed the value of the original SFHs in Lost Key with his Lennar and Horton deals. He's out for number one, only. I've not seen him do anything to better the area. I definitely do not know as much as you do about the county (seemingly a lot) but I do know that!
DeleteThat's some creative writing there MP. By chance do you know who assassinated Kennedy? Maybe you can tell us all the location where they filmed man walking on the moon. Will Putin be knocked off by the KGB?
ReplyDeleteAnon 653:
ReplyDelete1. Lee Harvey Oswald.
2. On the moon.
3. Hopefully.
You think those folks in Innerararity will be all in to add more property tax. I doubt it.
ReplyDeleteIf they do incorporate then we can use TDT for public safety. 3 municipality statute.
Seems like it will leave more for the unincorporated areas if they vote to pay for a mayor and a town council and all their supposed new public safety and municipal services they pay for.
Works for me.
I think it is mostly Under Owens stirring up stuff he learned from the master in reaction to the sign ordinance and a few anonymous comments pointing out the FEMA berms and Pensacola Inlet plan.
If that doesn't work he will just try for D1 commissioner again, after more name regonition.. seems he is out of a job.
Notice PKA guy CK said the beach should be renourished if you declare it public or pass a customary use ordinance. Shows he knows .. we know. If it were challenged, it's a public beach.
Greedy little lines drawn in the sand.
653... don't turn the corner too fast, you'll break your nose.
ReplyDeleteGo throw a laugh emoticon somewhere on facebook, make yourself useful.
10:06--It's Amusing to me as I know who the proponents are, and each one of them to a person espouse their conservative Republican credentials yet for purposes that appear to me to be self-serving---they will foist this concept on people in the name of "improving" the area and because they have been, purportedly, "underserved". The angry Real Estate Lady, Doug's Secretary, PK Charles, and I think the Burger King Guy too. They think bigger/MORE government heaped on top of the existing government will make things better. No, it will simply cost more and be a freedom limiting, liberty stifling exercise in futility that will more than likely die of it's own weight once folks peel the onion back and realize the costs associated and who it is that might really benefit. Funny, I've had this area as a part of D1 again for less than a year and lots of movement has happened on the Sorrento project, roundabout is done 3 months ahead of schedule and on-budget, Beach Access #4 opened, more is very quickly going to be be identified along with additional parking, a four and a half year conversation with the DoD to source land for station 20 is near the finish line, and I am just getting started. If folks feel they have been "underserved" in Perdido in the 8 years prior to redistricting and D1 taking back this area--they should look at who was running it during that 8 years. Doug's Secretary (currently not employed in the county but I'm told desperately seeking re-employment for the benefits) and Doug's former planning board appointee are the guys pushing this. Hmmmm.. Reminds me of that song, "Things that make you go HMMMMMM".Watch your wallets, folks!
ReplyDeleteYes Under Owens both still stirring the pot. Even about the broad ban. Comments on NE make it clear they don't want Cox.
ReplyDeleteOwens threw down a laugh emoticon. Didn't need Cotton this time. Bless his heart.
653 If giving the benefit of the doubt the trick question of 3 unless Time travel because on the 3rd December 1991, the KGB was officially dissolved.
ReplyDeleteThe KGB was later succeeded in Russia by the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and what would later become the Federal Security Service (FSB).
So, no, Not possible.
Hi Jeff, I'm the first to admit that I don't have much intel on the aliases and subtextual references posted by both you and the other commenters, other than Mirabile, which oof, not a fan of the garbage low-level single family homes he's stuck on the key, en mass. What I can offer as a 14 year resident of the key is that the collective 'we' are frustrated that the improvements made that are pushed as accomplishments look awful. The devil is in the details, and it feels like the improvements are done just as a feather in the country's cap, not with any real appreciable improvement. As an example, I'd rather have the potholes than the piece-meal that is Sorrento. It's like trying to jump a curb to turn or change lanes on a 2-inch gradient. I don't understand why it couldn't have been resurfaced and property striped like Barrancas was (which looks great, btw). If you hired a contractor to work on your home and they half-assed it you'd fire them or refuse payment. Similarly, we'd like someone (be it DOT if that is who is responsible, as I can't get a straight answer) to clean up the overgrowth around the bridge. It hasn't been trimmed in ages, and the gateway to an area of county enjoyment and vacationers' expensive, revenue-producing vacations looks like hot garbage. I could go on but the brass tacks of the fervor on PK is we feel we don't get much proportionate to what we contribute. The roundabout is also touted as an improvement but how? I hope it accomplishes its goal of mitigating JB traffic but in the meantime its a confusing concrete slab, and if the PKMUP is ever completed, it'll be a dangerous place for path users to cross on their way to JB. Plus, it's just more 'ugly' in the middle of what should be a beautiful place. All of this is to say that even the little bits of improvement should be done to completion and be of value. We feel like things are done on a shoestring budget, and maybe they are out of necessity. We'd also like more awareness of what goes up. I've been to both townhall meetings and I know the new townhomes followed the proper procedures for approval. Still doesn't mean it's good for the area, the schools, increasing desirability in the area, etc. We'd like to know what's going in BEFORE ground is broken, and have some agency over that, if we want to sell, move, etc, before our property values are destroyed. We want less 500 unit storage complexes and car washes built on prime real estate. We want things to do that improve QOL.
ReplyDelete12:19, don't confuse MP's ability to write, and she is very good, with any sort of intelligence. Her stories are fictional pieces based of real people.
ReplyDelete3:12 What exactly was false?
ReplyDelete7:46--Thanks for the rational and reasoned response. I agree with you that Sorrento is a mess--the potholes and the terrible condition of that road needs attention ASAP. I will remind you it is a state road so we can't snap our fingers and make the state do anything quickly. But over the last year since that portion of the county came back to D1--I have worked hard to get that road prioritized and we have accomplished that. And we are having safety improvements completed by the state and the rest is coming, just not quickly. I agree also about the public needing to be informed prior to giant apartments being constructed, that's why I am bringing a stnd alone apartment ordinance to the LDC to mandate that as a requirement. Now, as to what the private market builds--it is a market driven calculation on the part of the builders/developers. If they make money on self storage units--who am I to tell them they can't build them----especially if their property meets the codes and zoning? Yes, I'd love more restaurant options on the west side-- a Top Golf like the one I recently visited in Omaha or a Dave N Busters like the ones I have been to in San Diego and Atlanta---but where stuff like that gets built is up to the market not commissioners. And I agree with what you said about some of the improvements looking less than lavish. On that I'd simply say we have a lot planned out there and it is going to be good. More parking, another public access, and a new fire station off of bauer. All of that is in the works now. Incorporation will not speed any of that--it will only cost you more on your tax bill. But if folks want to pay more taxes to put about ten to 12 additional personnel on a government payroll to "manage" services--that will be up to them. I don't own property there so it is not my call but I can tell you if I did I'd certainly not support it because it will do nothing to improve anything--it will only raise taxes and put 10-12 people on a goverment salary, adding another layer of bureaucracy to the mix. I will respect whaatever the voters choose, however ad work within whatever arrangement is established--I just don't see it happenineg anytime soon, however, if even ever.
ReplyDeleteI’m going to agree with commissioner Bergosh on everything he has said about this issue. The few proponents of this issue, led by a disgruntled wannabe politician, and a 4 year transplant from South Dakota actually have no concept of what the end result of incorporation would mean. Their “lite” incorporation is Bs. County taxes don’t disappear. Really infuriating is they keep saying mainland Perdido is with them. Well very few on mainland Perdido have a clue about this. Seems one ex commissioner’s hand got called out on Studio 850 fb page tonight.
ReplyDelete