I met my sweetheart, Amanda, when I scrubbed floors at a nursing home in Gulf Breeze. At the time, she lived right nearby, but I lived in Milton. Every day, I had to pay $7 and eventually $7.50 to go to work. My employer paid for my tolls, but sometimes I couldn’t afford to pull the cash for the bridge. Fortunately, I don’t have to travel out that way anymore, especially since the Garcon Point Bridge (GPB) toll may rise to $5 for cash and $4 for SunPass users with a drop in discount to 25% for frequent travelers.
Pushback is coming from various county sources for the potential increase from business owners, local residents, and state and county representatives. Trustees face massive debt on the bridge and seem to believe the solution is to raise the toll. The final authority on making this happen is in the hands of the trustees. Elected officials can only express constituents’ concerns. In a county dominated by republicans, who arguably lean toward small-government conservatism, this situation presents philosophy meeting reality.
If the state or some public entity owned the bridge, local representatives, with their jobs on the line every term, would have authority over tolls. They would have to answer to the local citizenry for any toll increase. If residents thought representatives were mismanaging tolls or neglecting bridge upkeep, an election could see new stewards in place. Authority also tends to have hierarchy. In addition to threatening leadership with election ouster, the people can petition state or federal leadership to weigh in on the situation and possibly pull support of officials or giving support to opposing candidates.
The alternative is the existing scenario where the bridge is privately owned and the trustees, mainly the Bank of New York Mellon (BNY Mellon), only have to meet the bond agreement stipulations to raise the toll. One of the criticisms is the bridge owners out of state. They’re New Yorkers out of touch with the economics of Santa Rosa County. However, the bridge is in default. I won’t guess at the trustees’ motivations, but the bridge needs to make up for millions of dollars somehow. Private debt seems to be much more meaningful than public debt. Private debt has more immediate consequence.
The biggest pushback on the toll increase will come from users. Businesses reliant on the bridge may find a way around either by Highway 87 or through Pensacola and local tourism may fall. This is the way it works in the private sector. When prices increase, business often fails. However, options are limited here. GPB isn’t the only way to Gulf Breeze, but it is convenient and saves gas. Currently, gas is cheap, but who knows for how long? And when FDOT starts rebuilding the Pensacola Bay Bridge, GPB may become necessary. Will the trustees seek more business through lower rates or bet on higher priced tourist traffic? It’s in their hands.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Philosophy meets pavement