It’s official. Scott Collins has signed a 21-month contract to be Milton’s city manager beginning Oct. 2.
But nothing pertaining to Collins’ hiring has been without controversy.
“I’m happy that Mr. Collins is now our city manager, but I wasn’t pleased about the process,” Councilmember Marilyn Farrow said at the council’s agenda workshop meeting Sept. 21 after announcing that City Attorney Alex Andrade and Collins had executed a contract.
The Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners voted 4-1 at its special budget meeting Tuesday, Sept. 19, not to act on impact fees until at least October 2024.
Commissioner Sam Parker suggested the moratorium; he said construction costs already are too high and the economy “is becoming a wreck.”
Santa Rosa County commissioners hadn’t officially approved the Fiscal Year 2024 budget before they began discussing possible capital improvement projects for FY25.
The Santa Rosa County Commission unanimously approved keeping the 2024 millage rate at 6.0953 at its special budget meeting Tuesday, Sept. 19, which will generate about $98.4 million in property tax revenue. Commissioners also unanimously adopted a total budget of $251,355,646 for the budget year beginning Oct. 1.
On Wednesday, Sept. 6, retired K9 Idgie crossed the rainbow bridge.
K9 Idgie began her service with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and the Santa Rosa County School District in 2011 and worked happily until her retirement in 2018. K9 Idgie served as a partner to Deputy Marshall Holbrook, a drug dog and a family member.
Baptist Hospital will be moving patients from its E Street location to its new campus at the corner of Brent Lane and I-110 in Pensacola Saturday, Sept. 23.
This includes the new Baptist Hospital Emergency Room on Brent Lane opens Sept. 23, at 3 a.m. The emergency room on E Street will close at the same time. Other Baptist Health Care ERs are open 24/7, including the ERs at Gulf Breeze and Jay hospitals and the free-standing emergency room at Baptist Medical Park-Navarre.
Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet approved spending $141 million to buy more than 42,000 acres, including more than 1,500 acres in the Wolfe Creek Forest northeast of Milton in Santa Rosa County.
The Santa Rosa County Commission will have its final Fiscal Year 2024 budget hearing at 6 p.m. tonight, Tuesday, Sept. 19, in the Commission Meeting Room, 6495 Caroline St., Milton. The Board of County Commissioners is expected to officially approve a total overall budget of $251,355,646.
After months of workshops and debate, the Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners will review the final draft of its updated Land Development Code at a special meeting beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, Sept. 18.
