Midway FD Is 3Rd Highest Tax Entity
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A W A R D ● W I N N I 11BB N G 50¢ YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER August 10, 2006 Midway FD is 3rd in the State! highest tax entity BY BRADLEY “B.J.” DAVIS, JR. County Taxing Authority Gulf Breeze News Gulf Breeze News Florida Press Association C OMPARISON “Best Overall Graphic Design” [email protected] Taxing Authority Taxable value New Construction Taxes According to Santa Rosa Tax Collector Greg Brown, 1. School Board $6,702,089,926 $369,586,023 $50,855,458 Midway Fire District was the Inside in PAGE county’s third highest taxing 2. County $6,575,750,940 $368,825,102 $43,515,031 1B authority for the year, raking in over $1 million more in 3. Midway Fire Dist. $1,507,192,858 $ 59,995,793 $ 2,110,070 property taxes than the City of 4. Gulf Breeze 565,805,304 10,737,829 1,075,030 Gulf Breeze. 2005 taxes for Gulf Breeze were just over 5. Milton 283,648,535 13,101,482 780,033 $1,075,030 whereas 6. NWFWMD 6,702,089,926 369,586,023 335,104 ■ SRIA may extend Midway’s earnings were near- ly double that with $2,110,070 7. Avalon-Mulat 290,974,676 16,602,577 232,779 building timeline generated. ■ Representatives from both 8. Jay 34,305,379 1,291,690 68,610 PBRLA may lose entities were confident that voice at SRIA each was a good steward of Services Paul Stefon/Gulf Breeze News those taxpayer dollars. Gulf C ■ Bubba’s Beach Breeze City Manager Edwin OMPARISON of: She’s a beaut! “Buz” Eddy said the majority GULF BREEZE MIDWAY FIRE Tom Realing of The Northwest Florida Zoological Park and of the taxes collected for the # of Residents 6,000 30,000 (est.) Botanical Gardens wrangles an alligator during a two-day City of Gulf Breeze fund law # of Employees 78 29 project that moved the reptiles to a newly completed exhib- enforcement activities with it. Spectators of all ages enjoyed the grand opening of the Taxable Value $ 565,805,304 $ 1,507,192,858 WEEKEND $1.8 million of the city’s $5 exhibit "The Gator Hole" last Saturday featuring 34 alliga- million budget going to the Taxes collected $ 1,075,030 $ 2,110,070 tors acquired by the zoo. The facility was able to obtain the Weather police department. Services Provided Law enforcement, Fire protection, investigation alligators and construct the exhibit with the help of a dona- THURSDAY 8/10 “After that comes parks fire protection, parks & inspection, ALS (advanced tion by Pensacola dentist James Hart. The cost of the exhib- and recreation, then general and rec., roads, life support), public ed., it was around $55,000. The Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 4 Scat.T-Storms gen. admin., park HAZMAT, CPR classes O See TAXES , Page 2A6 p.m. daily, weather permitting. More on 6A. high 88 O low 78 Citizens FRIDAY 8/11 Iso.T-Storms Bridge walker adjusts to high 87O low 78O delivers market BY FRANKLIN HAYES SATURDAY 8/12 Gulf Breeze News [email protected] Scat.T-Storms flowers, smiles O high 86 BY FRANKLIN HAYES Abbott lives on North As Florida’s insurance crisis low 77O Gulf Breeze News Barcelona Street in Pensacola deepens, key players at the [email protected] and walks from the downtown state and county levels are area, across the three-mile making moves to improve the SUNDAY 8/13 Anyone traversing the bridge, through Gulf Breeze situation. Citizens Property Scat.T-Storms three-mile bridge during mid- to Pensacola Beach and then Insurance (Citizens), the high 91O day is likely to have seen an back everyday, rain or shine. state’s insurer of last resort that O currently insures over 800,000 low 78 amicable young man, bounc- During this daily trip of close ing happily to music flowing to 20 miles, Abbott stops at Floridians is adjusting to over through his headphones, car- Flowerama in Gulf Breeze to $2.4 billion in losses, stem- rying a bundle of roses. An buy roses or carnations. The ming from nearly 120,000 inquisitive mind may wonder, 28-year-old said he prays for claims in 2005. INSIDE ‘I see this guy everyday, what God to guide him to some- Citizens’ board members is he doing?’ one’s home that needs to be called an emergency meeting Classifieds 5 D “We get four or five phone blessed and then leaves flow- July 21 to discuss the dimin- calls every day asking who he ers on their doorsteps, hoping ishing builder’s risk market. Community 4,5A Jason Abbott walks is. He’s a very happy soul,” it will brighten their day. Builder’s risk insurance is a Crossword/Movies 5B nearly 20 miles daily in said Flowerama manager “I just do it for the Lord,” specific type of coverage Editorial 6A an effort to brighten Susan Mitchell. said Abbott, who finds great joy designed for construction pro- B people’s lives by leaving Entertainment 4,5 His name is Jason Abbott, in his charity. “What I do is jects and insures the building Island News 1,2B floral surprises on their and he says he’s doing the based on my walk with the doorsteps. while under construction for School News 6,7 C work God wants him to do, Lord. I’m not trying to get cred- the projected value of the Sports 1-6 C spreading joy and happiness building once completed. to people who need it most. See ABBOTT , Page 2A6 Talk of the Town 5A Franklin Hayes/Gulf Breeze News See INSURANCE , Page 4A6 TV LISTINGS 3B “Mailing Statement is on Editorial Page” City accepts final townhome plan Library original preliminary plat Code of Ordinances, a 30-foot side and 15 feet on the south FOUR SECTIONS BY BRADLEY “B.J.” DAVIS, JR. Gulf Breeze News approval was recently rejected buffer is required between zon- side. now open VOL. 5, NO. 29 [email protected] by council due to required set- ing districts, in this case includ- "In order to mitigate this BY FRANKLIN HAYES AUGUST 10, 2006 backs between the development ing R-C (residential-condomini- problem, the developer Gulf Breeze News Gulf Breeze City Council and adjacent residential property. um district) R-1-AA (single- (Driftwood, L.L.C.) proposed [email protected] approved a variance request for "There is a different zoning family resident district) and C-1 including a disclosure statement The Gulf Breeze branch of the 32-unit Driftwood district by the post office that (commercial district). The origi- with the deeds or covenants for the Santa Rosa County Library Townhomes scheduled to be was closer than 30 feet," said nal request placed a set of build- those particular units which System reopened Aug. 1 after constructed behind the post City Manager Edwin "Buz" ings approximately 12 feet from a two-week closure. All four office on Duncan Road. The Eddy. According to Gulf Breeze the district border on the east See TOWNHOME , Page 4A6 county libraries feature upgraded software, computer home! systems and many new titles. ZOO hopes to develop ‘International Market’ “I really believe the soft- ware’s going to be more user BY FRANKLIN HAYES most interested in an friendly. Our technology is your Gulf Breeze News "International Village Market" really up to date and it will [email protected] motif and boutique style retail give people better customer and restaurant development at service,” said Library Director The ZOO is now accepting street level along with upper Linda Hendrix. bids for the construction of story spaces designed for addi- Santa Rosa County spent mixed-use retail space along tional retail, services vendors, approximately $200,000 on U.S. 98 in front of the facility. offices and apartment housing," the system’s new computers, The ZOO is accepting bids until the proposal states. website and almost 8,000 new Sept. 31 for approximately 300 "It is envisioned that the vil- copies of books, videos, and Call 932-8986 today Call 932-8986 today linear feet of highway frontage lage-style development will cre- audio books. that is 300 feet deep and repre- ate a visually impressive, Online library visitors will sents a total of approximately intriguing and unique atmos- Franklin Hayes/Gulf Breeze News see a new library web portal at Enjoy your community paper community your Enjoy mailed directly to mailed directly 8.6 acres. phere to help establish and Bidding is now being accepted for the 8.6 parcel of land www.santarosa.fl.gov/libraries See ZOO "The ZOO prefers and is , Page 7A6 owned by the ZOO to develop an “International Market” See LIBRARY , Page 4A6 GULF BREEZE NEWS (850) 932-8986 www.gulfbreezenews.com 2A August 10, 2006 GULF BREEZE NEWS TAXES: Midway collects $1M more than city Continued from page 1A Breeze) and Edgewood Drive pen between here and Wal-Mart.” (west boundary of Holly by the Additionally, Eddy said that even city services,” he said. Sea) and contains roughly though that many services are Eddy explained that there are 30,000 residents. All county spread through the community, he around 6,000 residents within the residents paid a millage of 6.6175 believes there is a quick response Today, August 10 Sunday, August 13 Gulf Breeze percent and an additional 7.5880 of government. Santa Rosa County Commission Regular No meetings scheduled as of city limits, and city funds are percent for the school district in “There are innumerable exam- Meeting, 9 a.m., Commissioner's Board Room, 6495 press time spread over a multitude of ser- 2005.