MILTON — Santa Rosa County residents may soon find courthouse fact sheets in the mail.
In June, the Milton City Council voted in favor of providing an unbiased fact sheet regarding a half-cent sales tax referendum needed to fund a new courthouse facility in downtown Milton, adjacent to the current courthouse.
In accordance with state law, city officials say the fact sheet cannot advocate for a position on the referendum; it can just provide facts about the proposed location.
The fact sheet will be printed and mailed by next week, according to the city.
“It would be (mailed to) those individuals who have participated in the primary and general elections in the last two election cycles, approximately 10,750 individuals,” Planning Director Randy Jorgenson said at the meeting.
Matthew Hargraves, who previously co-chaired the city’s courthouse committee, said he appreciates the council’s decision to inform residents before the Aug. 30 Primary election.
“I think it’s critical,” Hargraves said. “I have still continued to speak with people in the county regarding the courthouse, just as a private citizen, and what I have been trying to convey … is that the local option sales tax has to be the focus of educating our citizens in Santa Rosa County, because the only alternative for funding the courthouse is a property tax increase, and that is not acceptable to, I think, a clear majority of Santa Rosa County citizens.”
Councilman Jimmy Messick also shared his perspective on the topic.
“(With) sales tax, about 24 percent, almost 25 percent of it will be paid by individuals who do not live inside the county — people going through the county or coming here to shop,” Messick said. “Also, if a sales tax is passed, food is not affected, medicine is not affected and rental of residential property will not be affected.”
Should a property tax increase take place to fund the courthouse, Messick said residents who rent property will likely be affected.
“Then even the people who rent property will most likely see an increase … because the property owners are going to pass that cost down to the tenant,” he said.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Voters to receive courthouse fact sheet