Dear Editor,
On November 4th, citizens of Santa Rosa County will make a very important decision on whether or not they feel that our county needs a new judicial facility.
Our current courthouse was built in 1927. It is 87 years old and has served our county well over its lifetime. There are currently six judges and one magistrate with no room for growth for additional judges needed today.
If you have been summoned for jury duty or have been in the courthouse you have personally experienced the old heating and air conditioning system. It is old water cooled and heated system that is either ice cold in the summer and extremely hot in the winter and it is always muggy.
The county added module buildings attached to the back of the courthouse for additional space for the clerk’s office. These module buildings were a temporary fix for the clerk’s office. These buildings are starting to show wear and tear of everyday operations. Besides being supported by eight foot 3×3 metal beams, which are leaning, and in a flood zone, the floors are starting to shift between the module buildings. There are roof leaks and air conditioning problems occurring in the temporary structures. The floors are soft and spongy in spots and are marked so they will not be stepped on.
The question is whether or not they will stand up to a hurricane like Ivan in 2004. If the skirts under the building blow out during a powerful storm and the wind gets under the modules, will they hold?
Over the last 16 months 161,934 individuals used the courthouse. 157,790 individuals came through the front door and 4,144 were transports from the SRC Sheriff’s Office (SRSO). These transports are not individual trips because the SRSO transport van can transport up to 12 inmates at a time. Over these last 16 months 97.44 percent of the individuals who have used the courthouse have come in through the front door and 2.56 percent have been transports. The number of transports will reduce in the future when we go to a video docket.
A new judicial facility will provide service to Santa Rosa County for the next 75 to 100 years. A new judicial facility will provide up-to-date technology for the clerk’s office and the court system. When a new business is looking at Santa Rosa County to start a business, you want them to look at the new judicial facility and say, “this county has pride in itself and I want to be a part of that.”
The ballot will ask the voters for a one cent increase in sales tax for five years along with a choice of locations. The one cent sales tax is the fairest way to pay for the new judicial facility. The tax will be paid by everyone, including tourist, visitors from neighboring counties and our local residence.
Our current courthouse has served our county for 87 years, she is old, tired and it is time for her to rest.
Donald Spencer
Santa Rosa County Clerk of Court
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Courthouse is tired, old and needs a rest