The Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) met for their final budget hearing at the Walton County Courthouse in DeFuniak Springs Monday, Sept. 22.

Back on September 8, Commissioners tentatively approved a millage rate of 3.575, and a separate millage rate of 0.441 for the North Walton Mosquito Control District, resulting in a total operating millage rate of 3.6041. Additionally, the tentative budget for 2025-2026 was set at $328,295,088.

However, at Monday’s final hearing, BCC Vice Chair Dan Curry suggested a lower millage – 3.5071. “I want to try and get as close to the millage (rate) that Commissioner Drake had suggested,” he said, “without doing anything to capital projects and without touching the staff’s money, and to find out if we can lower our debt.” He suggested several possible ways to cover the cost of the reduction.

Commission Chair Donna Johns cautioned the Board about further lowering the millage rate, due to possible issues caused by Senate Bill-180, as well as the potential elimination of property taxes in Florida, which funds a large part of state government.

Commissioner Tony Anderson agreed, noting that if the proposal was put on the ballot and passed, “There is going to be a period of time there where we are not getting taxes…where are we going to get the money for all the constitutionals, the sheriff’s department, and pay for the Social Security on all our employees?”

Commissioner Anderson also said that many people do not understand that both the state and the county are going to have to figure out a way to make that money up. “The only way to do it that I have been told by several legislators and lawyers is to raise the sales tax by 12-15 percent – and that’s not going to happen until after the property tax is cut,” he said. “So, there is going to be a period of time where we are not getting a whole lot of money in here.”

Commissioner Brad Drake expressed his desire to lower the millage rate down to 3.5. “So, I guess it is just up to the five of us to figure out where appropriately that money should be spent at this point. Should it be spent returning it back to the constituency or are we going to continue to fund additional projects for the sake of infrastructure?”

Later, Commissioner Drake said, “We should be making our decisions regardless of whether we are getting assistance and help from the legislature or not. We need to prepare for the future as if we are going to exist autonomously, we’re not going to get assistance…I think we need to get our books in order whether we have assistance from them or not.”

Commissioner Danny Glidewell asked Chief Financial Officer Melissa Thomason, “A two and a half million-dollar cut would result in what millage rate?”

“3.5375,” she replied.

They discussed different millage rates and the resulting savings. Ms. Thomason said that “3.519 is just under $2.5 million dollar cut.”

Commissioner Glidewell made a motion to set the millage at 3.519. Following public comments, the board voted and the motion passed 3-2.

Next, the Board took up the new budget figures and discussed different ways of making up the decrease in funding through internal cuts.

After multiple suggestions by various Commissioners, the overall budget of $327,945,088 was approved 4-1.

In the final analysis, they approved a millage rate of 3.519, a separate millage rate of 0.441 for the North Walton Mosquito Control District, resulting in a total operating millage rate of 3.5481.