Process
Who ultimately decides if we become a town?
Last Updated: July 5, 2023The process is two-step. It must first go through our local delegation (House and Senate members), make it through the floor of the legislature, and be signed by the governor before coming home for a referendum. The community must meet all the state review requirements for becoming a municipality, and multiple state departments participate. The...
Who decides what goes into the new town’s charter?
Last Updated: July 17, 2023The town charter is drafted based on input from community residents, and the adoption of the charter is left to the registered voters within the proposed municipal boundaries. Most new towns model their charters after other existing town charters. Our organization researched several recommended charters to identify key elements and relevant topics and compiled these...
What form of government would the new municipality take?
Last Updated: July 7, 2023The form of government is up to the citizens, written into the charter, and based on community conversations. All 26 of the newest Florida municipalities have been of the Council-Manager form. Florida does have Council-Mayor municipalities, but none were incorporated recently. Efficiencies are afforded by the Council-Manager form, both operationally and effectively representing citizens, making...
What is the purpose of the transitional plan within the municipal charter?
Last Updated: July 5, 2023The transition period from the local governance from county to municipal is laid out within the municipal charter’s transitional plan. It provides the framework for service delivery, zoning and planning, etc., while the municipal government is formed. Anything that needs detailing for the transitional phase is done so in this charter section. The county comprehensive...
What Florida municipalities now operate as Government Lite, and are they successful?
Last Updated: July 5, 2023DeBary, Weston, Fort Myers Beach are all good examples of successful government-lite municipalities in Florida, with DeBary being closest in size to our own community. Over the years since incorporation, citizens have tailored their local governments to fit their own unique needs within each community. They are all considered healthy, thriving communities based on various...
How does the Perdido community compare to other towns our size in Florida?
Last Updated: July 5, 2023Directly comparing one municipality to another is complex and problematic ― apples to oranges. The reason is that even towns of similar populations seldom have similar geography, tax base, demographics, income, expenses, and services. The Florida Department of Revenue database lists all municipalities and counties in revenues and taxable values. If one were to draw...
How much would incorporation cost local taxpayers?
Last Updated: October 26, 2023The cost to taxpayers depends entirely on the level of services residents desire from their local government. The feasibility report provides budget projections as a baseline – contemplating current service levels for current dollars – using existing revenue sources that would return to the community. The projections showed current service levels to be achievable using...
What was the experience of previous attempts at municipal incorporation in our area?
Last Updated: July 5, 2023Envision Perdido was an effort in the early 2000s that resulted in a sheriff’s deputy outpost on Gulf Beach Highway, a community center on Perdido Key, and the Southwest Escambia Sports Complex on Bauer Road. They ultimately decided to shift to another approach ― the Perdido Key Master Plan. That finished around 2016, and while...
What sort of bias is there in the feasibility study?
Last Updated: July 5, 2023The firm selected for the study, BJM Consulting, has a track record of over thirty such studies in the state of Florida. Each one must endure the scrutiny of both the community it analyzes, the state legislature, state committees, and various departments. It is in the best interest of everyone for the study to be...
Who funds the feasibility study?
Last Updated: July 5, 2023The cost of the feasibility study, is most often borne by citizens within the local community, although in some cases, a county may commission and fund the study for municipal incorporation (as is the case with Meritt Island, Florida). For Perdido’s feasibility study, local citizens fund the study and efforts. Please consider donating.
How are the town boundaries determined?
Last Updated: July 5, 2023Municipal boundaries are typically developed based on community feedback, and natural geographic and infrastructure-based dividing lines. Borders are often based on a sense of common identity. The map boundaries used for the study were initially designed for research purposes, based on community input, asking residents what they considered Perdido versus West Pensacola. Residents in these...
Do you plan to publish a list of donors?
Last Updated: July 27, 2023No. Releasing this information would be against our privacy policy and well-defined best practices for nonprofit organizations. Very few nonprofits publish this type of information. If individual donors wish to share their financial support voluntarily, that is entirely their decision, and we support them. We are very transparent and forthcoming about expenses and where funds...
How is the final decision for incorporation made?
Last Updated: July 5, 2023Voters registered within the proposed municipal boundaries would make the final decision.
Can nonresident property owners vote?
Last Updated: July 5, 2023To participate in Florida’s polls as a voter, you must be registered to vote in the state. While you could theoretically be registered to vote in multiple states, federal law prohibits double voting. Voting in multiple states is a felony – punishable by jail time and fines. Non-resident property owners who have intended to make...
How long does it take to establish the new town’s officials?
Last Updated: July 5, 2023The first election typically occurs three months after municipal incorporation. Most new municipalities in Florida incorporate on December 31 of the year in which the community votes. Elections are then held a few months later, most often in March. The municipal charter will provide details on this in a transitional plan.
How do citizens assess the risks and benefits of becoming a town?
Last Updated: July 5, 2023Florida statutes provide the framework for a feasibility study that looks at all aspects of a proposed municipality. This study helps communities like ours determine if incorporation is the right fit and if it would be feasible. Benefits and risks assessment is an essential part of this feasibility study. BJM Consulting utilizes a SWOT (Strengths,...
How is road ownership determined?
Last Updated: July 5, 2023The first elected officials work with county officials during the transition period to determine ownership of roads and streets. Based on the total lane-miles of road owned by the municipality, existing state and county revenue would be allocated to the municipality for ongoing maintenance of these resources.
When will the community be able to review the feasibility study?
Last Updated: August 27, 2023It will be available no later than September 1, 2023. BJM Consulting plans to present the completed feasibility study to the Perdido community in August and answer the community’s questions before it is submitted to the state for review. [UPDATE: August 27, 2023] On August 21, BJM Consulting presented an executive summary of the report...
What is the current status of the charter?
Last Updated: August 27, 2023The charter committee worked for much of August to finalize the municipal charter. A municipal attorney is now reviewing all changes and making final edits to bring it completely in line with existing Florida statutes. The final draft will be submitted to the state for review. Twelve local citizens expressed interest in helping to draft...
How much does the feasibility study cost?
Last Updated: July 5, 2023Depending on the amount of work done locally to reduce costs, a full feasibility study with all required components could cost anywhere from $30,000 to $75,000. The not-to-exceed quote given by BJM Consulting to We Are Perdido is $40,000. The study is completed in three consecutive phases before being assembled into a final report. Phase...
What is the timeline for deciding if Perdido becomes a town?
Last Updated: July 5, 2023The plan is for a vote would happen in November of 2024. Many other milestones must be met before then. The feasibility study process began in January 2023, scheduled to conclude by August 2023. This and the proposed municipal charter would be available for the community to review before they are submitted to our local...
Who serves on the board of directors of We Are Perdido?
Last Updated: July 17, 2023We Are Perdido is a Florida nonprofit corporation. The founding document is listed on SunBiz (https://search.sunbiz.org/) with ID #N22000013782. The organization operates under the founding documents and bylaws with a five-person board, as listed on SunBiz. Steven Brendtro – ChairmanCraig Dalton – DirectorMae Dean – DirectorMargaret (Anne) Griffin – DirectorMichelle (Mickie) Cameron – Director Board...
Who serves on the charter committee?
Last Updated: July 17, 2023At the direction of the board of We Are Perdido, the organization formed a citizen advisory committee to draft a proposed municipal charter. The committee consists entirely of citizens residing within the proposed municipal boundaries, led by an executive board member. After the first community meeting in January, individuals volunteered to serve on the charter...
What are the initial and supplemental study areas, and why are there two partial precincts on the proposed boundary map?
Last Updated: November 6, 2023First up are the initial and supplemental study areas. The short answer is that it’s all about timing. Town of Perdido’s proposed boundaries. The numbers are existing county Supervisor of Elections voting precincts, and the purple line designates the boundaries as of the August 2023 feasibility study. The study will be updated in Fall 2023...