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  • HOME
  • REPORT
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  • TIMELINE
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    • QUESTIONS
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Community Questions

Representation

  • Would council members have term limits?
  • Why are Coral Creek and Roscoe Field areas being included?
  • Is the mayor elected or appointed?
  • Can becoming a municipality help simplify or streamline our current bureaucratic situation?
  • Can municipalities work with the school district to ensure a safe, quality education?
  • How can we, as a municipality, ensure the proper delivery of services?
  • How many employees does a typical government-lite municipality require?
  • How does becoming a municipality give us more power to address local issues?
  • What form of government would the new municipality take?
  • Are elected town leaders compensated?
  • How are local leaders put in place?
  • Who decides what goes into the new town’s charter?
  • Who ultimately decides if we become a town?

Services

  • How is road ownership determined?
  • How quickly will improvements be made?
  • How might homeowners be affected?
  • Can a town address road maintenance and traffic issues, even on roads the municipality does not own?
  • How will emergency response services be affected?
  • What municipal services and benefits can the government-lite model provide Perdido?
  • Will becoming a city affect public services like water, sewer, trash, gas, and electricity?
  • What does becoming a town mean for law enforcement, fire, EMS, and search and rescue?
  • What are some of the issues we expect to resolve through municipal incorporation?
  • Can incorporation address overdevelopment and destruction of the Gulf Coast and Perdido’s wetlands?
  • How can we, as a municipality, ensure the proper delivery of services?
  • Who would be responsible for the roads and streets?
  • How does becoming a municipality give us more power to address local issues?
  • Would becoming a town impact eligibility for social services?
  • Would we get our own zip code, post office, and new addresses?
  • Who would be responsible for zoning and planning, and code enforcement?
  • Who would be responsible for police, fire, sewer, trash, and water?
  • What types of things can the new municipality do?

Taxes

  • Why are Coral Creek and Roscoe Field areas being included?
  • What would the impact be on residents and businesses?
  • Would the new town be eligible for state-shared revenues?
  • Does all current tax revenue remain with the county?
  • Would the new town, as proposed, collect utility taxes?
  • Would a new municipality collect franchise fees and communications service tax?
  • Would a new municipality have a Public Service Tax or “Utility Tax”?
  • Can a municipality increase the assessed property tax values of its residents?
  • Would becoming a town affect homestead, disabled veteran, and widow/widower exemptions?
  • How might homeowners be affected?
  • What municipal services and benefits can the government-lite model provide Perdido?
  • What are some of the issues we expect to resolve through municipal incorporation?
  • How much would incorporation cost local taxpayers?
  • How many employees does a typical government-lite municipality require?
  • Who determines Perdido’s “fair share” of taxes?
  • How can we return a more significant share of our tax dollars to our local community?
  • Can municipalities collect sales and gas taxes?
  • How can the government lite model keep our taxes low?
  • How does the Perdido community compare to other towns our size in Florida?
  • Would our current MSTU taxes go away?

Benefits

  • Would the new town be eligible for state-shared revenues?
  • How do citizens assess the risks and benefits of becoming a town?
  • How can citizens ensure their leaders are held accountable?
  • How quickly will improvements be made?
  • How might homeowners be affected?
  • Can a town address road maintenance and traffic issues, even on roads the municipality does not own?
  • How will emergency response services be affected?
  • Can becoming a municipality help simplify or streamline our current bureaucratic situation?
  • Could becoming a town help Perdido find its identity?
  • What municipal services and benefits can the government-lite model provide Perdido?
  • Will becoming a city affect public services like water, sewer, trash, gas, and electricity?
  • What does becoming a town mean for law enforcement, fire, EMS, and search and rescue?
  • What are some of the issues we expect to resolve through municipal incorporation?
  • Can incorporation address overdevelopment and destruction of the Gulf Coast and Perdido’s wetlands?
  • Can municipalities work with the school district to ensure a safe, quality education?
  • How can we, as a municipality, ensure the proper delivery of services?
  • How many employees does a typical government-lite municipality require?
  • How does becoming a municipality give us more power to address local issues?
  • How can we return a more significant share of our tax dollars to our local community?
  • Would we get our own zip code, post office, and new addresses?
  • What types of things can the new municipality do?

Process

  • What are the initial and supplemental study areas, and why are there two partial precincts on the proposed boundary map?
  • Who serves on the charter committee?
  • Who serves on the board of directors of We Are Perdido?
  • What is the timeline for deciding if Perdido becomes a town?
  • How much does the feasibility study cost?
  • What is the current status of the charter?
  • When will the community be able to review the feasibility study?
  • How is road ownership determined?
  • How do citizens assess the risks and benefits of becoming a town?
  • How long does it take to establish the new town’s officials?
  • Can nonresident property owners vote?
  • How is the final decision for incorporation made?
  • Do you plan to publish a list of donors?
  • How are the town boundaries determined?
  • Who funds the feasibility study?
  • What sort of bias is there in the feasibility study?
  • What was the experience of previous attempts at municipal incorporation in our area?
  • How much would incorporation cost local taxpayers?
  • How does the Perdido community compare to other towns our size in Florida?
  • What Florida municipalities now operate as Government Lite, and are they successful?
  • What is the purpose of the transitional plan within the municipal charter?
  • What form of government would the new municipality take?
  • Who decides what goes into the new town’s charter?
  • Who ultimately decides if we become a town?

Concerns

  • Would council members have term limits?
  • Why are Coral Creek and Roscoe Field areas being included?
  • Is the mayor elected or appointed?
  • What would the impact be on residents and businesses?
  • Would the new town be eligible for state-shared revenues?
  • Does all current tax revenue remain with the county?
  • Would the new town, as proposed, collect utility taxes?
  • Can a municipality increase the assessed property tax values of its residents?
  • Would becoming a town affect homestead, disabled veteran, and widow/widower exemptions?
  • Who pays for the cleanup after a hurricane?
  • After a hurricane, who would be responsible for fixing Perdido Key Drive?
  • How do citizens assess the risks and benefits of becoming a town?
  • How can citizens ensure their leaders are held accountable?
  • Can nonresident property owners vote?
  • How might homeowners be affected?
  • Who funds the feasibility study?
  • What sort of bias is there in the feasibility study?
  • Could becoming a town help Perdido find its identity?
  • How much would incorporation cost local taxpayers?
  • Will we need dedicated government buildings?
  • Does being a municipality have any drawbacks when it comes to disaster recovery?
  • Who would be responsible for the roads and streets?
  • Who determines Perdido’s “fair share” of taxes?
  • How can the government lite model keep our taxes low?
  • Would becoming a town impact eligibility for social services?
  • Would livestock, horses, goats, and chickens still be allowed?
  • Home
  • Questions
  • Concerns
  • What would the impact be on residents and businesses?

What would the impact be on residents and businesses?

The feasibility study analysis is based on current service levels for current dollars. The report looks at all existing tax revenues that would return to the town’s control and then contemplates impacts based on current services. It demonstrates that, with current service levels, a balanced general fund budget is attainable using only existing revenue sources. This includes the required development services necessary within the first years to produce a 20-year comprehensive plan. If citizens desire increased service levels or new services that they do not presently receive, those would carry increased costs.

Contemplating Perdido’s current service levels for current dollars, the feasibility report has this to say regarding impacts on residents:

The initial impacts on residents of Perdido would be very limited. There would be no new ad valorem taxes.

August 2023 Feasibility Report, p. 56

It also concludes minimal impacts on Perdido businesses:

Some businesses would be charged an additional annual Business Tax Receipt (BRT) or town license annually (Escambia County BRT is currently $26.25 per business annually). These would be businesses who operate in both Perdido and Escambia County.

August 2023 Feasibility Report, p. 56

For businesses that only operate within the proposed Town of Perdido, a single BRT would be paid to the town instead of the county. The budget assumes the BRT rate would be the same as it presently (e.g., $26.25 per business annually).

Based on 2022-23FY tax revenue analysis, the report identifies that several forms of existing tax revenue would return to the community. One source in particular would bring funds for capital maintenance and new projects:

The new local government of Perdido would gain total control of about $6 million annually to do capital maintenance and new projects.

August 2023 Feasibility Report, p. 56

The use of the $6M in funds referenced here is limited by state statute to capital maintenance and new projects.

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Updated on October 28, 2023
Is the mayor elected or appointed?Would the new town be eligible for state-shared revenues?
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