broxson assumes chair

Broxson assumes Board Chair

by Deborah Nelson
November 10, 2007

Finding funds to pay for a new courthouse before next November’s election and dealing with shrinking property tax revenues are primary issues Santa Rosa’s Board of Commissioners faces in the coming year, says District 5 Commissioner and newly appointed Chair John Broxson.

Broxson assumed the ‘gavel’ from outgoing Chair, District 1 Commissioner Tom Stewart, November 8.

The Chair steers meeting order and agenda content, and makes various committee assignments.

Broxson cites growth-related roadway issues, along with the courthouse question, as priorities.

“We do have a whole number of beautiful opportunities before us and some of them are not going to be very easy,” he remarked, Thursday.

“I do recognize the judicial facility as being a very important thing, and I recognize the transportation system as very important to this county. I recognize the county’s growing very rapidly.”

The incoming Chair predicts budget issues will also remain front and center in the coming year.

“One of the things that stunned me is to know the Legislature doesn’t think we’re doing such a great job with the money, and yet Santa Rosa County is one of the lowest per capita penetrations of taxes in the whole State of Florida,” Broxson noted.

Earlier this year, Florida’s Legislature passed a measure capping the amount local governments can increase property tax revenues each year.

And voters decide, January 29, on a tax reform amendment that would increase the property tax homestead exemption from $25,000 to $50,000; and allow homeowners to carry Save our Homes tax caps from one home to another. The measure is expected to further reduce local government revenues.

“This next year, if this constitutional amendment passes, we’ve already trimmed $1.8 million this year, but if this is the case and these figures are correct, we’ve got to do another $6.6 million next year,” Broxson noted. “That’s going to be a real challenge to us all.”

He predicts tax reforms could force public service cuts.

“My hope is that we will just be very uniform in our approach to any reductions,” Broxson noted. “That we’ll do it as much as we can on a proportionate basis, and that we will be able to, at the end of the day, say that we all had to suffer together.”

“I think we’re going to see some real restrictions in our ability to get things done. I dread that, and yet I’m not going to ask people to vote against that amendment because I want [them] to do what’s in [their] best interest.”

Broxson also served in Florida’s House and Senate, and as Santa Rosa Sheriff; but says his tenure on the County Commission has been singular.

“I’ve really enjoyed, more than I have practically anything I have done in public work, being on this Board of County Commissioners,” he remarked.

“You are so very close to the people. That’s what I enjoy about it, is being close to people, close to the public.

The new Chair encouraged the public to stay in touch.

“When I was not in public office, it took a lot of nerve for me just to call a public official,” Broxson noted.

“When I did, I usually had to build up a little head of steam, you know, and get sort of mad…and finally I would call.

“A lot of people don’t ever call their public officials. And when they do, they’re serious. They need help. And that’s why we’re here. We’re here to help you, to resolve any of your problems that are beyond you and your ability to handle [them].”

Outgoing Chair Commissioner Tom Stewart thanked the community and the Board for their support, and says he’s ready to hand over the gavel.

“Chairman is a tough job. There’s a lot of responsibility thrown on you, but you still only get one vote,” he quipped.

“For the most part we’ve not fought and argued and fussed at each other too much,” Stewart noted of fellow Board members. “And I take credit for that, because I tried to keep it down as best I could and I think I was successful in that regard only because my fellow commissioners allowed me to be successful.”

When he assumed the Chair, Stewart cited emergency services restructure and finding money to pay for a new courthouse as priorities.

Emergency services upgrades, he says, are on track. This year the Board proposed a new funding structure that increases volunteer fire department MSBU taxes and revenues. Upon approval, revenue increases are expected to allow VFDs to respond to “Tier I” emergency calls, as well as fire calls.

Officials predict the measure will also increase county oversight of departments’ spending, although a newly formed oversight committee’s budget hearings have not yet commenced.

“As our population grows older, it’s evident in the numbers we have that emergency calls constitute a large portion of our volunteer fire departments and our regular fire departments…every day there’s more and more calls,” said Stewart.

“The Tier I system’s being fixed as we speak. It’s a little expensive but it’s being fixed. I hope the future holds that eventually we’ve got paid paramedics that can respond on short notice to anyone’s home in this county regardless of income or status and save their life if they have the type of medical emergency that’s life threatening.”

Stewart had also cited funding a new courthouse as a Chairship priority.

“I think we’ve made a tremendous amount of headway,” he remarked of recent efforts.

“We’re getting to a point where I think the decision to find a site and move forward with building a new courthouse is forthcoming. I hope it’s within Commissioner Broxson’s tenure.”

The Board placed 40 public-owned acres of land, located next to the County jail, on the auction block last month. That property had been floated as a possible site for a new facility. Thursday, the Board voted to develop proposals for three different sites located near Hwy. 90 and in East Milton.

Commissioner Bob Cole ‘challenged’ Broxson to work on finding a new parcel, and a way to pay for construction, in time for next November’s elections. Voters must approve any plan that includes a sales tax hike.

Broxson says he supports bringing the issue to voters, provided enough time exists before Election Day.

“I think it might be doable if that’s the wishes of the Board,” he noted.

District 3 Commissioner Don Salter takes over as Board Vice Chair from Broxson.