April 3, 2008 Issue

Spring means different things to different people. Gardens and yards require tending for the first time in months. The beaches on the Gulf of Mexico are inviting. There is college basketball, spring practice in football, The Masters, baseball’s spring training, beautiful weather for tennis. Hunters get fired up over turkey season. Fishermen begin cruising the beach for the annual cobia run. In the midst of all of these wonderful harbingers of spring on the gulf coast falls March 31st, the day our property taxes are due.

I’m a democrat. Until recently I have never complained about property taxes. Or insurance rates. I guess I figured since I’m governed and surrounded by republicans whose chief concern seems to be lower taxes and less government, I would have nothing to worry about. Oh well.

I have heard of older communities undergoing redevelopment and gentrification and in the process local people no longer being able to afford to pay their property taxes. Many of the old “Conchs” in Key West or the “Crackers” who lived and worked on the water in Appalachicola, were taxed out of town. I had a hard time understanding how rising property values, even with the resulting taxes, could force someone out of their hometown. I don’t anymore.

People in Destin who had property just for the sake of owning property, say a piece of beachfront to pass down to their children, have a difficult time these days. A small piece of undeveloped beachfront is appraised at a value based on its “best and highest use.” The property owner may have no intention of ever developing their small beachfront lot. Their idea of the “best and highest use” of the property might involve their grandchildren having a spot to place an umbrella and beach chair in the years to come. But the property is appraised as though it could potentially be a high rise condominium. In that appraisal, the property is doomed to that ultimate fate. While anyone in their right mind knows that our area is overdeveloped, the forward-thinking person who secured a beachfront lot years ago, with no intention of ever selling it, can’t afford to pay $30,000.00 a year on property taxes. So the property is sold. And developed.

At least with absurd property taxes, and development fees, we should live in a county that has a first class infrastructure and amenities. Well, we don’t. It is unclear as to what these “tax and spend” republicans have been doing in our county for the last two decades.

One project rammed down our throats will forever be a testament to our republican leaders. The Okaloosa Island Convention Center (I’m not even sure that is its proper name), will continue to loom over Okaloosa Island. It has a certain lonely, gloomy look about it. The political party so well known for fiscal responsibility and support of private enterprise has got a real stinker in the Convention Center.

The Convention Center isn’t the only empty building in our area. Strip centers throughout our county are testaments to high hopes and low occupancy rates. Our country’s economy and the real estate market along the Gulf Coast are both in a free fall.

An argument could be made that our local economy, our basic tourism market, is still healthy. That is true, however, only on the surface. In reality, we don’t have a local economy anymore. Our town is made up of corporate resorts, restaurants, hotels, and retail stores. Their money doesn’t stay in our community and their employees don’t live in our community. Consequently, guess what? They don’t give a damn about our community.

But, not to worry. In the midst of an economic downturn like no one in my generation has ever experienced, we can count on our local leaders to see us through the tough times.

Sen. Durrell Peaden, Rep. is championing a bill that will allow employees to “keep their private gun” in their “private vehicle” while they are at work. Whew! Thank goodness that in the midst of decaying and unaffordable health care, massive foreclosures and a disastrous war in Iraq, Sen. Peaden has stepped forward to lead us on such a vital issue.

In Destin, 90 per cent of the property tax payers don’t even live here. It would seem that that would be a windfall to our school system. The county collects property taxes from people who don’t burden our school system with their children. There should be enough money for our children to go to school in limousines.

Of course, it doesn’t work that way with our “tax and spend” leaders, all of whom are republicans. We can barely get our kids to school on buses. One expense our school board should be responsible for but won’t need to worry about this year is for the track and field uniforms for the Destin Middle School. Harbor Docks Charities took care of that.

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