Hampton Inn Seagrove Beach on Chateau Hotel Property

Defuniak Springs has its own city. Freeport. Paxton. For crying out loud, why wouldn't our town want to have a city government?

Absentee ownership and scattered geography are just two problems I'll throw into the mix.

Ding, ding, ding....with a slight correction. I don't consider them "NoWal" beaches, I consider them "OUR" beaches! Community property!

True, but I was referring to the fact that a SoWal County would effectively eliminate any claim of ownership NoWal previously held.

Defuniak Springs has its own city. Freeport. Paxton. For crying out loud, why wouldn't our town want to have a city government?

I don't think its about having a "say", I think some are under the mistaken impression that everything south of the Clyde B. Wells bridge is exclusive property owned by residents of SoWal. It is not, never has been and never will be.


There won't be a Hampton Inn on 30A...did SoWal residents not have a "say" in that? There are many other instances but that is the one this threads about.

I don't think a separate county is possible, but would like to learn more about how incorporating would work. As pointed out earlier, we have other incorporated areas in Walton County, we aren't asking for something strange. And if our county commissioner districts can use bodies of water to claim things are contiguous, we can do the same for an incorporated area!

Residents of NoWal, seem to make this claim over and over. How has the northern part of the county ever "funded" the southern part?

Misty, never say never. Maybe the elected officials in Defuniak are starting to get it based on the no vote for Hampton, but I doubt it.

Residents of NoWal, seem to make this claim over and over. How has the northern part of the county ever "funded" the southern part?

Misty, never say never. Maybe the elected officials in Defuniak are starting to get it based on the no vote for Hampton, but I doubt it.

Do you honestly believe that SoWal paid every dime for the multi-million dollar school(s) that were built there or the multi-million dollar Courthouse Annex? Do you believe you have a Sheriff sub station and police/fire/EMS protection down there because it doesn't cost NoWal a dime? What about the water that is piped to you from the North end?

We were here long before you had any of those things m1a1mg and so were those beaches.

You must be really old Misty. What's this "we" you speak of? There was industry and agriculture south of the bay more than 100 years ago.

Danny made a claim that the north funded the south. Put up or .............

Do you honestly believe that SoWal paid every dime for the multi-million dollar school(s) that were built there or the multi-million dollar Courthouse Annex? Do you believe you have a Sheriff sub station and police/fire/EMS protection down there because it doesn't cost NoWal a dime? What about the water that is piped to you from the North end?

The fire protection doesn't cost NoWal a dime. SWFD is an Independent Fire Protection District. As for the EMS SoWal pays for that also in taxes that are sent back down for the SWFD to provide. What about the water, Destin Water Users, South Walton Utilities and Regional Utilities I believe have laid those pipes and maintain them. I believe Freeport, the only government organization that is involved in it.

You must be really old Misty. What's this "we" you speak of? There was industry and agriculture south of the bay more than 100 years ago.

Danny made a claim that the north funded the south. Put up or .............

This is fairly easy. Walton County was formed in December 1824. So that is almost 191 years of history. SanDestin was the first big development on the coast and it started in the mid-1970's. Prior to Sandestin there was really very little in Sowal. The first bridge across the bay was built in the 1940's. It was a narrow drawbridge. Prior to the bridge the only access was by boat or inland from Bay County on dirt roads. Even into the early 1970's all that was located in Sowal was JD Miller's store, the Grayton store, Barrett's store, Saltzman's store, a few beach cottages, Bay elementary and lots of sand and woods. Until the 1950's the few high school age children attended school in DFS and Sowal students attended Freeport High School into the 1990's. There were simply too few students to justify anything else. One Seagrove Place came along in the early 1980's and Highway 98 was widened in the 80's and 90's. So. until the 1970's, the tax base in sowal was not so big. In fact, land could be purchased very cheap until the 50's and 60's. Simple reason is that beach sand will not grow crops.
Meanwhile, DeFuniak Springs was home of the Winter Chautauqua which included a 4,000 seat auditorium, several large hotels and dozens of large homes. DFS also was home to a college, a couple of large lumber mills, numerous stores and many other amenities. Lakewood, which is known today only as Florida's highest point, was an important rail-head with a large lumber mill and a turpentine operation. Glendale was a small town and Freeport was a thriving port. DFS was home to a shirt factory and a large chicken plant into the 1980's.
Do the math as to which area had the biggest tax base for the first 150 years of Walton history.

Misty, I promise those were not my clothes, I agree the image is frightful. LOL. As far as past politicians, you are right, they are a mixed bag. Not much has changed there and if you read the news around the state, Walton County is not unique in that regard either. We cannot change the past but we can do better in the present and future.

Do the math as to which area had the biggest tax base for the first 150 years of Walton history.

Nuff said.

Misty, I promise those were not my clothes

OH, thank goodness.

Pick your poison ye dadburn northerners. Danny, while much of what you say about the happenings in the northern part of the county are true, you completely miss the bus on what was going on south of the bay.

http://www.visitsouthwalton.com/history

http://sowal.com/history-of-sowal-and-walton-county-florida

You have any actual facts to support your assertions Danny? I agree, it sounds logical, but business interests in the south paid for a lot. You tell me to do the math, but don't provide any numbers with which to do math. And there was a lot happening in the south before the 1970s.

Finally, I'll move the goal posts a bit. Let's look at the entire history of Walton County, what has paid more to the tax base? North or South?

Thanks for sharing some history. Very educational and entertaining. I would love to have been able to see what this place looked like back then. But this matter doesn't seem to be about what made the most sense yesterday as it does what is best for today and tomorrow.

The beaches are not the only thing in SOWAL..but they are what creates the $$ that could be a little more evenly distributed. I have lived bayside of 98 for 30 years...on a dirt road until just a few years ago..my kids went to school in a building built in 1938. We only got an elementary school when it was determined to be so costly to repair the existing one, the high school was built only after the outrage from Freeport getting a brand new high school (but to save $$ we had to use the leftover plans from Freeport HS). I might add that SWHS opened over capacity while FHS was well under. There are many more shortcomings when it comes to how money is doled out to SOWAL..How long do you think the bridges along 30A would be tolerated in NOWAL? The condition of 30A in general is horrible, but all you see is a road crew throwing some asphalt in the holes and moving on. And while the north funded the south long before the south became a tax base entity of its own ..they really didnt have to fund a lot..up until the mid 90s,I would have to call a minimum of 6 times before they would even come GRADE the dirt road I lived on. It was so bad that we had to move from our home and rent in Seagrove while I was pregnant because emergency vehicles couldnt promise they could get to me should something happen. Bay Drive?? can anyone tell me when the last time it was resurfaced was? I could go on and on...but this entire post has absolutely nothing to do with the topic of this thread.....

Would you moochers north of the bay please stop persecuting us SoWallers? Where's Bugs when you need him?

Would you moochers north of the bay please stop persecuting us SoWallers? Where's Bugs when you need him?

I was stuck in traffic yesterday in Paxton because they are redoing 331. I spent my time wisely though, I scouted mountain homes in Lakewood. With that high elevation and King's Lake, it is kind of our own little Lake Como. I plan on splitting time this summer between Seagrove and the mountains. Our taxes dollars are at work up there!

I was stuck in traffic yesterday in Paxton because they are redoing 331. I spent my time wisely though, I scouted mountain homes in Lakewood. With that high elevation and King's Lake, it is kind of our own little Lake Como. I plan on splitting time this summer between Seagrove and the mountains. Our taxes dollars are at work up there!

I had to stop using 331 when traveling north, every time I passed thru Paxton my ears would pop.

I had to stop using 331 when traveling north, every time I passed thru Paxton my ears would pop.

It is nice to look north from the bridge and see the snow caps. It reminds me of sea and ski spring breaks in Cali.

Remembered I had prepared this after the final budget hearing.

Data from Walton County BCC Budget Summary.

This thread pretty much sums up the problem that effects just about every issue in this county. The "I want mine and to ____ with the rest of ya" attitude. We do not need peeing contests over what funds have been collected from where and for how long. We need to find solutions to problems and create opportunities for everyone. I do not live on 30-A, never have and never will. But that does not mean that I do not want to find solutions for the issues that the area faces. Every time I am required to drive that road I am upset. I cannot imagine how upset I would be if I did live there because traffic is always a nightmare. It is clear that leaders in the past dropped the ball and that the lack of vision and planning has created a quagmire that does not lend itself to easy, clear cut fixes. But it is not good enough to just lament about the problems and the past. Solutions that we can afford must be found and it will take everyone working together to find those solutions.

The same can be said for the lack of economic development in the "mountains" of Nowal. The simple truth is that those in the south who wish to cut the percentage of total county revenue collected from the south should be the biggest cheerleaders for economic development in the north. The revenue needed is only going to climb and the south property values will probably rise as well. But generating more revenue in the north reduces the need to collect so much from the south and either leads to reduced taxes or increased infrastructure and services.

Bottom line is that as far as economic development, what is good for the south is generally good for the north and vice versa. Those who are always agitating for a north vs south war are only screwing all of us.

I guess I don't understand the worry about taxation in regard to raising funds for infrastructure and services if incorporating. Given the record breaking tourism rates, why not add a higher nightly room rate tourism tax and call it a day. No one is going to stop coming on their beloved 30a vacations over a few percentage points higher on the bill. And then the permanent local (minority) population is not left financing alone the core benefits to sustain a community whose majority population is actually transient. My in-laws lived in a beach community where locals enjoyed an amazing city rec center and other community amenities that were financed largely by tourism dollars. Property taxes were kept low and the sense of community among long-term residents seemed stronger than SoWal as we don't have any central community building places like a city rec center.

I like Teresa's comment re: territory proposed being south of the bridge. Given the millions that have gone into branding 30A/South Walton (<-- edited to add South Walton since I wasn't referring to the highway or website so much as the broader zip code area) as a cohesive community/destination south of the bridge, any zoning that shreds that to pieces seems at odds with the current brand and mentality. We live bayside/north of 98 and consider ourselves "South Walton" and moved to the area because of the lack of chains and the zoning in place to limit high rises... we didn't fully realize that the county wasn't more cohesive in planning and execution until we became permanent residents and started witnessing in the economic downturn how large plots of land were going to national developers with questionable construction.

If I am doing the math correctly SoWal is getting back the amount of tax money we pay in. As for adding a tax to the nightly room rate I am not sure that is possible. I think that is what the TDC does and those funds are used for specific purposes by law. As I understand it, if incorporation was to occur I suppose funding SoWal with a sales tax is possible, PCB does it. Bob Hudson do you know what the breakdown on a 1 cent sales tax is collected in Sowal?

And I agree with Teresa re: territory proposed being south of the bridge. Given the millions that have gone into branding 30A as a cohesive community/destination south of the bridge, any zoning that shreds that to pieces seems at odds with the current brand and mentality.

Area South of the Bay is not 30A, it is South Walton - millions have gone into branding "South Walton" - not 30A. 30A is a road (and a brand by a "carpetbagger"). Walton County extends well past Sandestin into Miramar Beach. Which many people think is Destin.

It'd be interesting to do a poll and see if folks in Miramar Beach would rather be part of Destin or a new SoWal city. Sandestin wants to be left alone and not be taxed any more.

Mack Bayou to Inlet Beach makes sense as a community.

Area South of the Bay is not 30A, it is South Walton - millions have gone into branding "South Walton" - not 30A. 30A is a road (and a brand by a "carpetbagger"). Walton County extends well past Sandestin into Miramar Beach. Which many people think is Destin.

It'd be interesting to do a poll and see if folks in Miramar Beach would rather be part of Destin or a new SoWal city. Sandestin wants to be left alone and not be taxed any more.

Mack Bayou to Inlet Beach makes sense as a community.

Actually, I would not prefer it. I own property north of 98 and would prefer to be left alone. I own in an area that is starting to be encroached upon as a industrial area and I can see those south of 98 may not want that kind of business in their neck of the woods.