Unlike previous county meeting weeks, there is no “committee as a whole” meeting set for Tuesday. That day’s regular meeting will be followed by the final budget hearing at 5:30 p.m. A special rezoning meeting will be held Sept. 24.
Here are three things you need to know ahead of Tuesday’s meeting.
Local Option Gas Tax renewal
Santa Rosa County commissioners will either approve or deny an ordinance that will renew the 5-cent local option gas tax that is set to expire Dec. 31.
The ordinance allows a 5-cent tax on every gallon of fuel sold in the county, with the funds being distributed to each municipality in the county. The funds are used for transportation expenses throughout the county.
If passed, the 5-cent tax will be effective from Jan. 1, 2027, to Dec. 31, 2037.
New signage, traffic light coming to Highway 87
Santa Rosa County commissioners will also look to approve two contracts that would add a traffic light on Highway 87 and new signage to the Milton Interchange Park.
The contract for the traffic light is with Griffin Traffic Signals in the amount of $826,544 to add a traffic light at State Road 87 and Ray Helms Road, which is the path that takes trucks to the Milton Interchange Park.
Along with the light is the addition of new electrical and communications systems, milling and resurfacing, new signage and pavement markings, and sidewalk improvements.
The signage contract, worth $106,480, is with Signdealz Corporation to demolish three existing signs and install two new monument signs at the I-10 Coastal Commerce Center, once known as the Northwest Florida Industrial Park.
According to county documents, the I-10 Coastal Commerce Center has three existing signs that show their age. The project will replace the signs and reflect the name change.
Funding for this project comes from the economic development budget.
Final budget hearing
Santa Rosa County residents will have the final chance to speak their minds as the county commission looks to wrap up budget season with a final public budget hearing. The county calendar lists the second and final budget/MSBU public hearing for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 22.
Compared to last year, the total budget of Santa Rosa County is 3.81 percent, or $10.275 million, less than the proposed budget for this year. General fund dollars, or what the county uses for daily operating expenses, are about $2 million less than last year.
The budget cycle this year was cut in preparation for the possibility that the November ballot initiative would begin to cut homesteaded properties from the county’s tax rolls.
This is the final public hearing before the budget is formally adopted ahead of the beginning of a new fiscal year on Oct. 1.
