District 3 Commissioner Rhett Rowell, right, presenting the 2025 Conservation Hall of Fame award to Lewie Joe Smith during the Feb. 5 Blackwater Soil and Water Conservation District’s Annual Awards Banquet. Photo courtesy Jeff Snow.
Santa Rosa County District 3 Commissioner Rhett Rowell on Tuesday asked fellow commissioners to allocate a portion of future local option sales tax (LOST) revenues toward farmland conservation. However, his proposal failed by a 4-1 vote after other commissioners took no action, choosing instead to delay further discussions on the matter.
The existing half-cent LOST expires at the end of this year, and on this November’s ballots citizens are expected to vote on whether or not they support its renewal. The current allocation of LOST is 60% toward public safety, 30% toward infrastructure and 10% toward quality of life (recreation) projects…