The 5-year projected budget being included in the feasibility study assumes that current franchise fees and communications service tax rates would remain unchanged. An incorporated municipality of Perdido would receive these revenues rather than the county.

Franchise fees typically are levied on a company or utility for the privilege of doing business within the municipality’s jurisdiction and/or for utilizing a municipality’s right-of-way to transact business.

Escambia County presently levies franchise fees on utility services and also collects communication service tax (Telephone & Cable TV) from the State, but the county retains the revenues derived from the collection of these fees. If the area of Perdido is incorporated, it would share in the communication service tax revenues from the State and collect the revenues from the utility franchise fees paid by users within the proposed boundaries.