MILTON — A sales tax to fund the Santa Rosa County courthouse’s replacement failed with voters. Now, county commissioners are moving forward.
According to official election results provided by the Santa Rosa County Supervisor of Elections, the courthouse half-cent sales tax failed by 820 votes.
Most “no” votes came from the south end of the county. Despite the Gulf Breeze precinct showing support for the courthouse tax, it failed in the East Navarre, West Navarre, and Navarre Beach precincts by 64.5 percent, 60.97 percent and 61.57 percent of votes cast in each, respectively.
“I believe that the two votes that we’ve seen last week show the will of the citizens of Santa Rosa County to support continued growth and repair of our much needed infrastructure,” Commissioner Bob Cole said. “But they do not want a courthouse located in an area that is too congested, with no room for future growth, and the property is not just conducive to the type of structure that would be placed on it.
“I believe it’s time for this board of county commissioners to move away from this location and immediately begin to research the possibilities of a location the citizens of Santa Rosa County will support in making this decision.”
Milton Attorney Jennifer Byrom — daughter of the late William “Cotton” Byrom, former mayor of Milton and former city judge — said east Milton property her father offered to donate for a new courthouse is still available.
According to Byrom, the plot is a 47-acre parcel on Highway 90 near the jail with exits to Interstate 10, Navarre, and Milton.
Byrom said her family has one condition for donating the land.
“We have acreage to donate to the county, to carry on my father’s legacy, but out of that acreage please allow us access to the remaining acreage we are not donating, the 15 acres right there on Highway 90 in east Milton within 2 miles of the sheriff’s department, within two miles of the jail,” she said.
Wallace Mahute, an East Milton resident, liked the free location. She suggested the savings could be spent on an annex in the Gulf Breeze area to keep those residents from having to spend money on the Garcon Point toll bridge.
Don Richards, a Gulf Breeze resident, criticized the Milton location, too. He said business owners in the area fear they’ll collapse. “No they won’t. They may open a new place by the courthouse, but they’re not going to collapse,” he said.
Jerry Couey, from Milton, expressed his support of the location during the public hearing while opposing any discussion of buying property for the courthouse.
He said, “These citizens and many others will not tolerate discussion or any move by the board to buy more property to build the courthouse on.”
Commission Chairman Lane Lynchard said he preferred that the board not formally address this issue again until there is a full board, meaning the swearing in of newly elected Sam Parker for District 1.
District Three commissioner Don Salter has supported other locations, like the one in Pea Ridge. He won his primary race but still faces no-party affiliated candidate, Aubrey Penton, in November.
If Salter wins, and if Parker supports looking elsewhere for the new courthouse, Parker will likely hold the majority opinion.
In addition, discussion of a new courthouse’s location would start all over again.
CORRECTION: This article previously stated Don Salter had already been reelected the District Three commissioner. This is incorrect. Salter still faces Independent, Aubrey Penton, in November's election. Our apologies to Mr. Penton and for any confusion.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Santa Rosa courthouse discussion begins again