Handouts
Recent Handouts
Below are a few handouts that We Are Perdido has used in recent meetings. We encourage citizens to print and distribute these as they discuss the topic of Perdido’s municipal incorporation. If you are unable to print these, or want multiple copies to hand out at your own meetings, please contact us and We Are Perdido can provide these resources to your group or organization.
As a municipality, Perdido’s citizens would gain a unified local voice, the ability to make local decisions, and a seat at the table. This quick one-page overview answers common questions, and is a great place to begin the conversation.
What would we gain? How does the process work? Who gets to decide? When could this happen? What is “Government Lite?” What would it mean to me? Another layer of bureaucracy?
It is important that citizens have the correct information. The topic of becoming a town brings up many questions and may even cause people to jump to false conclusions. This myths vs facts guide help clear up some common misconceptions we have heard in our initial discussions.
This is a helpful resource for HOA meetings, neighborhood meetups, and when talking to your friends and neighbors about what it could mean if Perdido became a town.
The term “government lite” is new to many people, but knowing what it means is key understanding what We Are Perdido is exploring as an option for the Perdido community. Forget what you know about big cities and how they work. This is a new model used by newer, award-winning Florida cities.
The article Government Lite was originally published in the July 1997 issue of Public Management. Authored by Marsha Segal-George, the then town manager of Fort Myers Beach, Florida, documented not only the philosophy, but some of the early successes of the model that their town enjoyed.
This article is a must-read, as it is key to understanding the basis of the “government lite” model.
After speaking with residents across the greater Perdido area, those within the boundaries illustrated here identified as what many considered to be “Perdido.” Residents often referred to themselves as living in Perdido Key, Perdido Bay, or Perdido, as opposed to “Westside.” Additionally, the borders corresponded almost exactly to the boundaries of four voting precincts (67, 73, 95, and 105), and precisely followed boundaries of US census tract blocks. Additional discussions with the feasibility study firm and project leaders led to the addition of Ferguson airfield and surrounding area (in the northeast corner of Perdido, a segment of precinct 55), and the Coral Creek/Preserve at Perdido/Target area (between Dog Track, Blue Angel, and Sorrento).
The proposed boundaries for Perdido are for research purposes, and provide a starting point for the analysis and feasibility study. The purple boundary outlines the initial study area, used for calculations in the August 2023 feasibility report. Later, during fall 2023, the feasibility report will be updated with 2023 tax roll and Dept. of Revenue information, adding in the supplemental study areas for consideration.
At the August 21, 2023 community meeting, BJM Consulting presented the findings of its six-month feasibility study. This is the executive summary of the full report, which the firm said would be published as soon as it was updated with details from the surveyor’s report. (ETA August 23, 2023)
BJM Consulting shared this information at the August 21, 2023 community meeting. This 5-year projected budget shows expenses and revenues of the proposed town, as envisioned using a government lite concept. Also included is an example tax bill showing the MSTU line items that would combine.
During the process of review by the state, BJM Consulting expects the state to request updated data using 2023 tax information. A new updated budget will be republished at that time.
BJM Consulting, Inc. delivered the final report (59 pages) on August 27, 2023. It is published here on our website.
The municipal charter is currently under review with a municipal attorney. At this time, We Are Perdido does not have an expected delivery date for this document.