SaveOurBay - Walton County Blocks Stormwater Plan

Last year, the board members presented draft local legislation to state Rep. Brad Drake and state Sen. George Gainer in hopes of getting it run through the Florida Legislature.

Had Drake and Gainer been able to secure passage of the bill during the 2020 session — local legislation tends to draw little opposition — a referendum would have been held to ask district voters to decide if they wanted to do away with the Mosquito Control District in existence since 1964 and create the South Walton Mosquito and Storm Water District.

Everything could have been done outside the purview of the Walton County Commission.

But Drake and Gainer informed the Mosquito Control commissioners that they would move the bill forward only after receiving a resolution from the Walton County Commission stating its support for the expanded district.

Drake said Monday that the requested county resolution didn't arrive during the 2020 legislative session, which started in January, and hadn't crossed his desk as of Aug. 19, when a Mosquito Control attorney sent him an email asking what steps the district needs to take to get its bill heard during the 2021 session.

County support hasn't been readily forthcoming either. When the Mosquito Control District went to commissioners last year for support for expanding the district they were told they'd first need to hold public hearings and workshops to weigh interest in their idea.

County Commissioner Danny Glidewell was also in attendance when Norris spoke to Republicans. He said Norris seemed to try to give listeners the impression the County Commission was backing the South Walton County Mosquito and Storm Water District legislation.

"It was alluded to the commissioners had approved it," Glidewell said. "We hadn't." .. Northwest Florida Daily News

Report abuse