‘CITIZENS ARE NOT HAPPY:' Talks of filing a petition, subsequent referendum floating around Destin

A petition challenging the city’s decision to include resident’s trash bills on their property taxes has been talked about, but has yet to be filed.

“I have heard that people were going to do it,” Councilman Dewey Destin said of a provision in the city’s charter that allows residents to challenge a decision made by the council, or to propose an ordinance. “It has been used twice since we incorporated, and in both cases the citizens won.”

During the June 20 City Council meeting, city leaders voted 5-2 to pass a resolution that required residents in the incorporated areas of Destin to pay for their residential trash collection services as part of their Okaloosa County property taxes.

Councilmen Larry Williges and Destin voted against the measure.

When given the opportunity to speak about the change in collection methods, 16 out of the 17 residents that spoke were against the changes.

“Our citizens are not happy with the decision the council has made,” Destin said. “It’s pretty telling that we sat through two hours of testimony and only one person was in favor.”

For Councilman Jim Wood, based on the information he was given and the research he had done during the past six months, “the addition of the trash bills on our tax bill should be a positive step” for residents.

“All those residents who are subject to the change will pay once on their tax bill and those with mortgages will have their bills paid through their escrow,” Wood wrote in an email to The Log. “There are many communities in Florida and across this nation that do similar trash bill arrangements.”

As for filing a petition, Destin told The Log Monday that it took a group of five residents to file the petition and subsequent referendum proceedings with the city manager’s office. Once filed, the ordinance or decision that is being challenged is suspended from taking effect until a final determination is made; the petitioners withdrawal the petition; the council repeals the ordinance; or a vote of the city on the ordinance has been certified.

The petition must be signed by at least 10 percent of the qualified voters in the city from the most recent regular city election.

Mayor Sam Seevers does not remember the last time the city was subject to a referendum, but said she would support the resident’s decision to do so.

“I have gotten the sense that people are very upset about this, but I represent the will of the city council on issues like these,” she said. “If a referendum is what the people want to do, that is most certainly what we need to do.”

Wood also welcomes the referendum, since it means more citizen involvement in Destin affairs, saying city leaders would ultimately find out “how the majority” of Destin citizens about the issue.

City leaders are currently waiting to get an opinion on the matter from Attorney General Pam Bondi.

For Destin, he still believes the non-ad valorem special assessment collection method is against the city’s charter and shouldn’t have been passed in the first place.

“I can’t really understand the advantage that made it imperative for the city to do this,” he said. “Where was the big incentive?”