Walton County Relief for Locals & Small Business

[Jim Tucker]

How about an emergency meeting to decide how to aid the residents and small businesses of Walton County? I see other counties and cities providing monetary aid. Walton County is one of the richest areas on the planet. The people of this county have protected the environment and worked hard to create the wealth. It is time to give some back to the hard working people who created the golden goose economy.

 

[Beacher]

Someone posted in another thread the the Walton TDC has $75 million in reserve. I seem to recall the money was part of the beach nourishment plan that beachfront homeowners blocked.

An example of a Florida City taking action:

City OKs virus aid framework

Gainesville residents could get assistance with rent or mortgage payments as soon as mid-May if a Gainesville City Commission plan for COVID-19 aid is approved.

Businesses in the city also stand to benefit under the plan, which was discussed by the commission at a special meeting Thursday afternoon.

“My goal is to get checks out by May 11 — the second week of May,” City Manager Lee Feldman said. “It’s pretty ambitious ... but I think we can get it done.”

Proposed are rent or mortgage payments to residents in several income categories ranging from extremely low to moderate.

Payments of up to $1,250 over two months are proposed.

Businesses with a current city tax receipt could get grants of up to $5,000. Businesses will have to meet several additional qualifications, including posting a revenue loss because of COVID-19 restrictions and having a maximum of 50 employees. Businesses that filed for bankruptcy protection before March 16 will not qualify.

City officials expect a deluge of applications from businesses and individuals when registration starts. A time and method for that has not been set.

Available cash will total nearly $2.5 million and is likely to go fast once the application process opens. The city will determine if qualifications are met and then begin awarding the assistance.

The proposal is called GNVCares, and the money would come from several sources within the city budget.

 

[liz coats]

Someone posted in another thread the the Walton TDC has $75 million in reserve. I seem to recall the money was part of the beach nourishment plan that beachfront homeowners blocked.

An example of a Florida City taking action:

City OKs virus aid framework

Gainesville residents could get assistance with rent or mortgage payments as soon as mid-May if a Gainesville City Commission plan for COVID-19 aid is approved.

Businesses in the city also stand to benefit under the plan, which was discussed by the commission at a special meeting Thursday afternoon.

“My goal is to get checks out by May 11 — the second week of May,” City Manager Lee Feldman said. “It’s pretty ambitious ... but I think we can get it done.”

Proposed are rent or mortgage payments to residents in several income categories ranging from extremely low to moderate.

Payments of up to $1,250 over two months are proposed.

Businesses with a current city tax receipt could get grants of up to $5,000. Businesses will have to meet several additional qualifications, including posting a revenue loss because of COVID-19 restrictions and having a maximum of 50 employees. Businesses that filed for bankruptcy protection before March 16 will not qualify.

City officials expect a deluge of applications from businesses and individuals when registration starts. A time and method for that has not been set.

Available cash will total nearly $2.5 million and is likely to go fast once the application process opens. The city will determine if qualifications are met and then begin awarding the assistance.

The proposal is called GNVCares, and the money would come from several sources within the city budget.

Why not do away with the TDC? It seems to me that we''re going to have tourists stumbling over each other with or without the TDC. The bed taxes could be used for something useful.

 

[James Bentwood]

Why not do away with the TDC? It seems to me that we''re going to have tourists stumbling over each other with or without the TDC. The bed taxes could be used for something useful.

That certainly has been suggested before. I think it would require you and two people who think like you to get on the County Commission. And even then you would have to withstand all the pressure from local businesses who want a head in every bed and maximum advertising.

 

[ShallowsNole]

If you do away with the TDC, Walton County would no longer be collecting bed tax. The uses for the taxes already collected are set under Florida Statute and County Ordinance. To change the purpose of tax already collected may or may not be illegal. Might have to give it back to the folks that paid it. That's a good question. Ask the attorneys at the Florida Department of Revenue or the Attorney General's Office. Blow their minds.

 

[James Bentwood]

If you do away with the TDC, Walton County would no longer be collecting bed tax. The uses for the taxes already collected are set under Florida Statute and County Ordinance. To change the purpose of tax already collected may or may not be illegal. Might have to give it back to the folks that paid it. That's a good question. Ask the attorneys at the Florida Department of Revenue or the Attorney General's Office. Blow their minds.

That's why I mentioned the BCC - you'd likely have to change course at a fundamental level and you'd be fighting the powers that be like change the course of the Titanic.

In other words change the focus of Walton County from just tourism dollars and advertising to preserving quality of life and improving infrastructure and diversifying economy.

Smart, progressive areas and towns know that if you spend to support the locals and quality of life, the tourists still come and keep coming because what is good for locals is good for tourists.

 

[Teresa]

Someone posted in another thread the the Walton TDC has $75 million in reserve. I seem to recall the money was part of the beach nourishment plan that beachfront homeowners blocked.

An example of a Florida City taking action:

City OKs virus aid framework

Gainesville residents could get assistance with rent or mortgage payments as soon as mid-May if a Gainesville City Commission plan for COVID-19 aid is approved.

Businesses in the city also stand to benefit under the plan, which was discussed by the commission at a special meeting Thursday afternoon.

“My goal is to get checks out by May 11 — the second week of May,” City Manager Lee Feldman said. “It’s pretty ambitious ... but I think we can get it done.”

Proposed are rent or mortgage payments to residents in several income categories ranging from extremely low to moderate.

Payments of up to $1,250 over two months are proposed.

Businesses with a current city tax receipt could get grants of up to $5,000. Businesses will have to meet several additional qualifications, including posting a revenue loss because of COVID-19 restrictions and having a maximum of 50 employees. Businesses that filed for bankruptcy protection before March 16 will not qualify.

City officials expect a deluge of applications from businesses and individuals when registration starts. A time and method for that has not been set.

Available cash will total nearly $2.5 million and is likely to go fast once the application process opens. The city will determine if qualifications are met and then begin awarding the assistance.

The proposal is called GNVCares, and the money would come from several sources within the city budget.

The City of Gainesville is a municipality with a progressive city government. They have always been ahead of their time.

South Walton needs to be a city. Otherwise nothing will ever change. Our county should be wealthy enough to support tourism, infrastructure and quality of life for locals. Instead, no one is in charge except for the county level in Defuniak Springs.

 

[PoppaJ]

The City of Gainesville is a municipality and a progressive city. They have always been ahead of their time.

South Walton needs to be a city. Otherwise nothing will ever change. Our county should be wealthy enough to support tourism, infrastructure and quality of life for locals. Instead, no one is in charge except for the county level in Defuniak Springs.

Even if we become a city I doubt we will ever become progressive or even keep pace with the times.

 

[Sun Chaser]

The City of Gainesville is a municipality with a progressive city government. They have always been ahead of their time.

South Walton needs to be a city. Otherwise nothing will ever change. Our county should be wealthy enough to support tourism, infrastructure and quality of life for locals. Instead, no one is in charge except for the county level in Defuniak Springs.

Just for fun, what would be your boundaries? Miramar Beach accounts for around 50% of revenue for the county. Do you think MB will join with the 30A folks to form one “town”? How far to the East do you propose to extend the boundaries? Lake Powell?

 

[bob bob]

Just for fun, what would be your boundaries? Miramar Beach accounts for around 50% of revenue for the county. Do you think MB will join with the 30A folks to form one “town”? How far to the East do you propose to extend the boundaries? Lake Powell?

It's been discussed on here a lot. The consensus is county line to county line. Curious where you get your 50% figure and why is it relevant when forming a new government of South Walton.