Wakulla County BOCC's First 2026 Meeting: Same Old Priorities Amid Ongoing Concerns

As we turn the page to 2026, the Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) is set to hold its first regular meeting of the year on Monday, January 5, at 6:00 PM in the Commission Chambers. The 207-page agenda packet is heavy on infrastructure tweaks and grant chasing, but light on addressing the core frustrations many residents have voiced for years: uncontrolled growth straining roads, services, and schools - without the tax base or planning to keep up.

Many in the community are tired of the pattern - development rolls on, infrastructure plays perpetual catch-up, and now incentives to bring even more jobs (and likely more housing demand). Meanwhile, calls for meaningful property tax relief for existing homeowners often fall on deaf ears, except when it threatens county revenue. Let's break down the agenda with that in mind.

The Usual Structure

Invocation, Pledge, Agenda Approval, Citizens to be Heard (early and late), Consent, General Business, Public Hearings, and the rest. No Planning & Zoning items this round.

Consent Agenda: Mostly Cleanup and Compliance

These are supposed to zip through unless pulled.

• Routine approvals: Minutes, bills, sales tax report, next year's budget calendar.

• Utility easement for the new Emergency Operations Center.

• Contract awards and rankings for channel markers and lift station work.

• Library grant amendment.

Three items worth noting, though they're presented as minor:

Item 7 & 8: The "Rescind" Fixes
Two actions from the December 8, 2025 meeting are being undone. One rescinds a firefighters' CBA amendment (to re-approve it as a full new agreement—technical union requirement). The other scraps a redundant info-sharing deal between the Sheriff's Office and Probation (turns out both already have direct state access). These are billed as simple paperwork corrections, no policy changes or costs. Fair enough—government bureaucracy happens.

Item 9: New Disaster Response and Recovery Plan (AR 1.16)
This stems from a 2025 state law (SB 180) requiring written plans for post-storm recovery. It codifies debris removal steps, expedited permitting (priority for homes/businesses, possible fee waivers, alternate sites), and an online guide for common repairs and flood rules. It's compliance with new mandates, building on existing practices. Post-storm recovery is always a pain point in Wakulla, so having clearer rules could help—if implemented well.

General Business: Chasing Grants and Loans

• Withdrawing an old flood mitigation grant.

• Two resolutions to apply for State Revolving Fund loans: One for Newport drinking water upgrades, another for Lake Ellen septic-to-sewer conversions.

These are the kind of infrastructure projects the county needs as growth continues. But they're reactive—applying for funding to fix or expand systems already under pressure from past development.

Public Hearings: The One to Watch

Item 17: Economic Development Property Tax Exemption Ordinance
This would formalize exemptions for properties leased or conveyed through the County's Economic Development Authority—up to 100% on improvements/equipment for up to 10 years, to lure qualifying businesses with jobs and investment.

Voters greenlit the general tool back in 2022, and this refines it for specific deals. No project is named, yet.

Here's the rub: Just last month, the BOCC was vocal against statewide ideas to cut homestead property taxes, citing risks to services. Many residents are struggling with rising bills and want relief. Yet this creates a mechanism to voluntarily waive county taxes for select new businesses—potentially adding jobs, but also more demand for housing, roads, schools, and water without immediate revenue to match.

It's a familiar playbook: Protect the budget from broad cuts, but offer targeted incentives to fuel growth. Residents often see it as prioritizing outsiders over those already here bearing the load.The public hearing is your spot to speak (3 minutes). Past meetings have shown commissioners get testy about social media criticism—dismissing concerns as "ginned up" online, even as those voices reflect real frustrations with the pace of change.

Item 18: Loosening alcohol rules for special events on county property. Minor tweak.

Wrapping Up

This agenda reflects ongoing efforts to manage growth's fallout—better disaster rules, infrastructure funding pursuits, technical fixes. But for many, it underscores a disconnect: Years of development approvals without fully building out supporting infrastructure first, and now tools to attract more.

Citizens have made their views clear in meetings, comments, and online. The BOCC hears it - sometimes pushing back hard. Whether that translates to shifts in priority remains to be seen.

Tune in January 5 (in person or stream). These decisions affect everyone's daily life here in Wakulla.

Based on the public agenda packet and ongoing community discussions.

CLARIFICATION AND UPDATE 01/06/2025:

What Item 17 Actually Says

The agenda lists the item as:

"The draft ordinance amends Section 2.305 of the Wakulla County Code to create an exemption related to how the county may lease or convey property for economic development purposes."

The ordinance does not explicitly use the terms:

• “property tax”

• “ad valorem”

• “tax exemption”

Its language focuses on exemptions from property disposition requirements - the rules governing how county‑owned land can be leased or sold.

How This Connects to Property Tax Incentives

Although the ordinance itself does not spell out “property tax exemption,” it is part of the broader framework tied to Florida’s Economic Development Ad Valorem Tax Exemption program (§196.1995, F.S.).

Key points:

• Wakulla County opted into this program in 2022 (Ordinance 22‑08).

• The Wakulla EDC publicly describes this tool as allowing temporary reductions in county property taxes for qualifying businesses.

• These incentives can be up to 100% of county ad valorem taxes on improvements and equipment for up to 10 years.

• They are not automatic; they are granted case‑by‑case based on job creation, wages, and investment.

Item 17 does not grant any tax break to any specific project.

Instead, it refines the county’s internal process for handling county‑owned property involved in future economic development deals - deals that may, under state law, include ad valorem tax incentives.

This is why the ordinance raised questions:

the exemption language intersects with a program that does, in practice, involve property tax reductions.

Why Clarity Matters

When the county uses the term “exemption” in the context of economic development authority projects, it exists within a legal and practical framework that includes ad valorem tax incentives. Even if the ordinance text does not explicitly mention property taxes, the mechanism it supports is part of a system that can reduce them for qualifying businesses.

Understanding this connection is essential for residents evaluating:

• how economic development tools are used,

• how incentives are granted, and

• how these decisions align with broader tax policy positions.

Transparency ensures the public can follow the full picture - not just the narrow wording of a single ordinance.

The citizen who asked the question concerning this at the January 5, 2026 meeting was asking a very valid question. We would surmise that every county official in that board room that touches economic development was aware of this tie. The question remains, why are we, as a county, embarking upon adventures to spark economic development that will further increase our traffic, and strain on our struggling to keep up infrastructure? It seems as if they swap from one to the other. Were promises made to private businesses incoming that we don't know about? Why amend this ordnance now? What's the rub?

Keep your eye on the ball, Wakulla!