Log flashback: Incorporation was our ‘shining hour'

EDITOR’S NOTE: As part of today’s Progress Edition celebrating the 25th anniversary of Destin, The Log is rerunning the editorial that ran on this page days after the Nov. 7, 1984, vote to incorporate in Destin. Much of the sentiment in it is still true today.

The voters of Destin have spoken.

We believe those who stood patiently in long lines at the Community Center to cast their ballot made the proper choice Tuesday with the decision to incorporate and establish a municipal government in Destin.

While perhaps the 187-vote margin does not constitute an overwhelming mandate after two previous referendum elections rejected incorporation, the majority of residents this time clearly sensed the time had come for Destin citizens to manage Destin’s business.
That is as it should be.

Destin could no longer accept the caretaker sort of government provided by the Okaloosa County Commission. Destin could no longer afford to sit back and take a disproportionate share of services from a county government not attuned to this community’s needs.

Almost 70 percent of Destin's registered voters took an interest in the incorporation referendum. That is a strong indication of the sentiment which ran high on both sides of this issue. It is about the same percentage as two years ago when the issue failed, but the rapid development apparently brought with it a new breed of voter, one which obviously thought things could be done better locally.

What turned residents around since the last vote on incorporation is, of course, a matter for conjecture. If its defeat in 1982 was on the basis of the pocketbook, then the Citizens For Incorporation group succeeded this time in getting across their message of the minimal cost of being in charge of our affairs.

Now, it is on to the next step — the formation of a city government.

From the looks of things there will not be any shortage of candidates to seek the seven seats on the Destin City Council and the position of mayor.

We are particularly delighted and encouraged that so many individuals have shown an interest in running for office. It indicates the level of involvement people in this community are willing to take so that a fledgling city government gets off on the right track.

A healthy debate by the candidates during the next month preceding a pre-Christmas city election should help not only to set the tone for how the city intends to operate, but also give an inkling of what types of services can be anticipated once a council is up and functioning.

Reflecting on the incorporation vote once more, we believe it perhaps will go down as one of Destin's shining hours, a day when this community chose to participate in guiding the future of Destin rather than be merely satisfied with the status quo.