Although some Santa Rosa County voters have cast their vote, November 4 is the final day to voice opinions about the one cent sales tax to be used only for a new judicial center. County officials reiterate the tax will only be for five years and it would begin January 1, 2015, and end at midnight December 31, 2019, if majority of voters decide to pay for the courthouse. Officials said the tax is a binding referendum and requires the judicial center to be built in the location selected by voters via the three non-binding referendums listed on the ballot. The three properties voters can choose from is the current location in downtown Milton, East Milton on Highway 90 just southwest of Peter Prince Airport, and Pea Ridge, just west of the Avalon intersection on Highway 90.
The three properties all have the same square footage in building size, and all have the same cost for the building at $34.5 million dollars. Estimates for architect and engineering fees, permits, construction, fixtures, furniture and equipment are expected to be $10.5 million for all three sites. However, East Milton will not have any land purchase expenditure. Downtown Milton has $80,000 assessed value to purchase additional property to add to the 7.14 acres the current facility is now utilizing. There is some disagreement between information coming from county officials regarding parking spaces the current location will have in the future and the information the city has published. The county released information typifying both the Pea Ridge and East Milton locations will have 500 parking spaces available but on site parking in downtown was limited to 225 spaces. Hunter Walker, county administrator said the 225 number is parking the county can control. City officials count parking a bit differently, saying there will be 225 new parking spaces plus 322 existing, with additional 200 unregulated, bringing the total to 747 places to park a car. The city also said Milton’s City Council pledged up to 50 percent of the local option sales tax to the construction of the courthouse in downtown Milton. According to the Department of Revenue, city officials said that will amount to $750,000 each year over the 5 year life of the tax. This reduces the total cost to the tax payer $1,875,000.
Milton City Planner Randy Jorgenson said since the city has pledged its share of the tax toward the project those funds can be used for whatever purpose is needed, he said.
“One thing people need to understand is that money will allow the loan to sunset sooner or allow the county to dedicate a similar amount to any other project need,” he said. In the material provided by SRC, it identifies only 7 acres of land available for the judicial center.
“If there is 10 acres needed it is available,” said Jorgenson. County Commissioner Don Salter said there is expansion available for Pea Ridge and East Milton but downtown is limited in future expansion planning. “We need at least 10 acres,” said Salter.
“It’s hard to say whether or not our needs will be the same fifty years from now. We talk as if we will be living in the same place and time and we will not. Looking at the current growth trends and rates the greatest demand will be in southern Santa Rosa County and not here,” said Jorgenson.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: One cent sales tax and courthouse decision to be made next week