National Whiskey Sour Day: How a Property Tax Amendment Could Tank Half of Florida's Counties

(00:01) Here's today's B Team Redux. Music from Rush this morning. Working man on the classic rock station. 100.3 KROCK. Good morning, everybody. How you doing? I'm Schuyler Black. He is Bobby Dewrell. (00:17) Welcome to Tuesday. That's right. We're going to see about a 60% chance of rainfall today. A high of 89. We're kind of looking at the extended forecast here. Bobby, our daytime highs this week. Dropping back into the 80s. (00:32) From the mid-90s where they have been. Back into the upper 80s. Maybe we're getting towards the latter portion of the summer season. We'll check that full forecast in just a little bit. The B Team show brought to you by Stripes Pub & Grill in Navarre. (00:47) As well as Okaloosa Gas and Outcast Sushi in Miramar Beach. Bobby, as we jump into the show this morning. The first national holiday you brought to the table. Happens to be Touch a Heart Tuesday. Yeah, because one day a week is exactly what we can spare. (01:04) To pretend we have feelings and a pulse. Do we have to do it that often even? Well, there you go. Touch a Heart Tuesday is that weekly holiday. Where everyone pretends they've got time. Emotional range. Clean hands. (01:20) And we all agree to do one thoughtful thing. Like it's a miracle instead of basic maintenance. You're supposed to reach out. Say some kind thing. Check on a quiet one. Maybe donate a few bucks and act surprised that it helps. (01:35) The whole gimmick is simple. You touch a heart without making it weird. Which is asking a lot from the same species that can't return a shopping cart unprompted. It's wholesome. It's suspicious. And it's coming for your calendar whether you like it or not. Touch a Heart Tuesday. (01:52) And, Bobby, next week when we get to Touch a Heart Tuesday, it'll be the month of September. That's right. All right. Grand Funk, Jefferson Starship, and The Stones all coming up right now, though. Greg Kinn, the breakup song on 100.3 KROCK. (02:09) Honky Tonk Women. There's The Stones on the Classic Rock Station, 100.3 KROCK. Good morning, everybody. I'm Schuyler Black. He is Bobby Dewrell. The B Team Show is on the air. We've got a lot of local events coming up this weekend. (02:25) You've got the Fort Walton Beach PD Community Bike Ride down at The Landing starting at 9 o'clock Saturday morning. You've also got the Shields of Faith Missions Gala happening at the Convention Center Saturday night. Tickets are on sale for that. Comedy Show at La Sala Events Center Saturday night as well. (02:43) You've also got the Market out there at Freedom Tech Center Saturday night. Live music, food trucks, vendors, and more. Lots going on. We've got the link to find all of the events at our website, thebteamshow.com. (03:01) Well, today on Tuesday, August 25th, we jump into our next national holiday. It's Kiss and Makeup Day. That's right. Make sure you have some chaps taking a signed waiver. Why? Well, it is 2026. You've got to have a waiver. Yeah. (03:16) Can't ever be too safe. Kiss and Makeup Day is that little square on the calendar that shows up like an overdue apology. You know, it's awkward, necessary, and somehow still inconvenient. Look, the premise is simple. You've got to stop clutching your grudge like a family heirloom, put your ego down gently, and go patch that hole you punched in somebody's week. (03:34) You know, it's not about romance. It's about survival because nobody wins a Cold War in a group chat. And if you can't manage a kiss, well, fine. Make up anyway. Or at least learn to fake sincerity like an adult. Kiss and Makeup Day. Bobby, you're right about that waiver deal. 2026. (03:49) People that are on the litigious end of the spectrum that are always watching you. Yep. Kiss and Makeup Day. There you go. All right. We're going to take a break, pay a couple bills on the way, look at your marine forecast. (04:04) Plus, Dan Diamond has local news coming up in the next half hour as well on 100.3 KROCK. Stand by for more rock. 100.3 KROCK. You don't know what we could find. (04:19) Why don't you come with me, little girl, on a magic carpet ride. Steppenwolf and Magic Carpet Ride on 100.3 KROCK, the classic rock station. Good morning, everybody. Hope you're doing well. It's Tuesday. One week from today will be the month of September. (04:35) But I know a lot of folks are looking forward to Labor Day weekend. I'm looking forward to it. Tons of college football. We get a little sample of some college football, though, this week. Week zero action. About eight or nine games across the country. And the Florida State Seminoles are no exception. (04:51) They're going to be out there playing in Tallahassee at Doak Campbell Saturday night. Seven o'clock kickoff. We'll have that one for you as they host New Mexico State. We'll have it for you play-by-play over on Sister Station. 94.3 FTW. (05:07) And then, of course, next weekend with the Gators and the Crimson Tide kicking off, we'll have Florida and Alabama play-by-play all season long over on 103.7, the ticket. But as we continue looking into the national holidays this morning, Bobby's got National Secondhand Wardrobe Day on deck. (05:26) That's right. Because, you know, nothing sets a fresh start like wearing a Stranger's Regrets with a tag that's still lying about the size. Fair enough. National Secondhand Wardrobe Day is that annual reminder that new is mostly a marketing spell and your closet's been lying to you. (05:43) You know, you celebrate by rescuing perfectly good clothes from thrift racks, attic bins, or that one friend who decluttered like it was a moral crusade. And it's part budget sense, part environmental virtue, part controlled identity crisis, because nothing says personal growth like wearing a jacket that's lived three lives and still has fight left in it. (06:02) So play it right and you'll look timeless. Play it wrong and, well, you'll look like a missing person from 1997. Either way, somebody's going to ask questions. That's right. It's National Secondhand Wardrobe Day. I like that. Bobby, I do wear some secondhand stuff from time to time. (06:20) Okay, Macklemore. I get $20 in my pocket. Yeah, let's go pop some tags. Except 20 years ago when that song came out, I could get a lot more for $20. That's right. All right, Bon Jovi now on 100.3 KROCK. She's got the looks that kill. That sounds kind of scary, not going to lie. (06:37) And Motley Crue on the classic rock station, 100.3 KROCK. Schuyler Black and Bobby Dewrell, it's the B Team Morning Show, brought to you by Stripes Pub and Grill in Novar, as well as Okaloosa Gas and Outkast Sushi in Miramar Beach. (06:52) Remember, we keep you updated on everything happening across the area online at thebteamshow.com. Local news, events, your daily Ask Uncle Bobby feature, Goofy National Holidays, and the show on demand anytime you want it, all online at thebteamshow.com. (07:09) And speaking of Goofy National Holidays, this is probably my favorite of the four today. It's National Whiskey Sour Day. Yeah, yeah, you know why? You know what says I'm thriving? Lemon juice dressed up to babysit your bad decisions. (07:24) Well, see, it does have some nutritional value. Yeah, yeah, yeah. National Whiskey Sour Day is that glorious little square on the calendar where we all pretend squeezing a lemon into whiskey counts as self-care and not just damage control with garnish. See, it's a holiday for people who like their drinks the way they like their relationships. (07:42) Strong up front, complicated in the middle, and ending with a face that says, I knew better. See, somewhere a bartender is cracking an egg white like it's a sacred ritual, and somewhere else a grown adult is announcing, just one, with one confidence of a man stepping into an ice and dress shoes. (08:01) Anyway, consider this your official permission slip to celebrate responsibly, or at least consistently. All right, National Whiskey Sour Day. Enjoy it, folks. It might be a little early in the morning to enjoy it, but later on this afternoon. (08:18) Okay, Bobby's already jumping into it. You know, you can't drink all day if you don't start in the morning. That is true. All right, a look at local news is coming up next. Dan Diamond's got it for you. The Classic Rock Station 100.3k Rock. Good morning, everybody. There's the who. (08:33) Won't get fooled again just after 7. I'm Scather Black. He's Bobby Dewrell. This is the V Team Morning Show on a Tuesday. Brought to you by our friends at Stripes Pub & Grill in Navarre, as well as Okaloosa Gas and OutKast Sushi in Miramar Beach. (08:50) Beautiful morning out there so far today, Bobby. Yeah, it sure is. I've got to tell you, it's nice to have a couple days in a row no heat advisory. Yeah, that's a streak for us, isn't it? You know, you take the wins where you can take the wins. That's right. (09:06) Highs the rest of the week flirting with the upper 80s, but not cracking 90 according to, well, wherever Bobby gets this weather page from. Well, from the National Weather Service. You know what I mean? (09:21) Just some insignificant guys. Yes, yes. So, yeah, like I said, high today of 89. Got about a 30% chance of maybe some showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. And there were some that were spotty yesterday. (09:37) We got a couple light sprinkles here in Fort Walton. But, yeah, it looked like the I-10 corridor up there towards Baker and Crestview. Mm-hmm. Got a good drenching for a short time. Yep, yep. We'll check that full forecast, though, here in just a little while. (09:54) Local news-wise, plenty to get to this morning. We'll talk about this being the final week of November. Neighborhood cleanup and large item pickup, or tire pickup here in Fort Walton. Also, eight women were inducted into the Okaloosa County Women's Hall of Fame this week, and multiple Okaloosa County municipalities launched a joint effort to educate voters on the property tax amendment. (10:19) Plus next hour, State Rep. Pat Maney will be joining Bobby and I on the air for a quick interview before he goes over and has a more in-depth discussion with Dan Diamond on 94.3 FTW. Yeah, it's going to be nice to get a chance to chat with him, see what's going on in the world. (10:37) So, yeah, we've got lots to get to here in the next couple of hours. Of course, later on in about 35 minutes, your daily advice, ask Uncle Bobby, coming up here in just a little bit as well. Also tonight, Fort Walton City Council meeting in regular session. The CRA board meeting at 4 p.m. this afternoon, the regular City Council meeting set for 6. (10:59) And tomorrow, there is a special City Council meeting regarding the 2027 fiscal year budget. Fun. Yes, very fun. Very fun. All right, stay with us. We've got lots to talk about this morning, so we'll get to it all in about the next 10 minutes. (11:19) All right, the cars and Donnie Iris coming up after Def Leppard. This is too late for love. It's the B Team Morning Show on the Classic Rock Station, 100.3 KROCK. Donnie Iris and Aliyah at 100.3 KROCK, the Classic Rock Station. (11:36) Good morning, everybody. I hope you're doing well. Schuyler Black and Bobby Dewrell, the B Team Morning Show is on the air, brought to you by Stripes Pub and Grill in Navarre, as well as Okaloosa Gas and OutKast Sushi out there in Miramar Beach. Speaking of Miramar Beach, I saw a fun upcoming event out there at the shops at Sandestin the second weekend of October, the annual Bloody Mary Festival to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Walton County. (12:04) We've got that posted on our website on the events tab, thebteamshow.com, along with many other local events. Well, Bobby had something on deck for us this break. Well, yeah, just a heads-up for Destin residents out there. The City Council has a public hearing scheduled for September 8th around 6 p.m. out there at the City Hall Annex. (12:24) On the agenda, they've got some changes to the city's transportation and development rules, some new regulations on e-bikes and scooters, and renaming parts of Pine Street to Blue Mountain Court. And then, of course, the two big money items is the property tax rate for 2027 and the city budget for the coming fiscal year. (12:42) Now the meeting's open to the public and residents can comment, so y'all get ready out there, Destin Watch Group. September 8th at 6 p.m., you know, the big things that I see on it really are they're looking at replacing parts of their current land development rules with a new mobility plan and transportation corridor management system. (13:03) Basically it's changing out the city plans for roads, traffic, and transportation as development occurs. And then the e-bikes and scooters seems fairly interesting because they're looking at changes to the rules covering electric bicycles, motorized scooters, and other small mobility devices, including how those rules are enforced. (13:26) So I'll tell you what, you really have to watch out for those e-bikes and those scooters. I was trying to leave the station yesterday. There was a jack wagon that he was over at Tractor Supply coming out of there, and I'm pulling out to make my left turn onto Bill Parkway. (13:49) He just decided he was going to pull out in front of me because gross vehicular tonnage does not apply. Yeah, that would apply to him. I almost took him out, you know what I mean? Because A, I didn't see him, right? And B, just idiocy. (14:07) Well, the thing is with motorcycles, you've always got the exhaust, right? You hear them coming. With these e-bikes, they're probably a quarter of the size of a motorcycle. They have no noise, and they ride on the sidewalks. (14:24) So they're so much easier to not see. So I have to catch myself double-checking, triple-checking, and I still from time to time don't see them, and had a couple of close calls. So be careful, drivers out there. (14:41) Those e-bikes and those e-scooters are everywhere, and a lot of times you have young kids on them that don't understand the rules of the road yet. Or that they are expendable. True, true, yeah. Those invincible teenage years. Yeah, I mean, you know, you're not going to live forever, kid. (15:01) No. So, anyway, just a heads up to drivers out there, especially as everybody gets back into – I know we're in week three of school being back in session, but still, it takes a little while for habits to come back. All right, we've still got many more stories to dig into this morning. (15:20) We'll talk about the eight women that were inducted into the Okaloosa County Women's Hall of Fame yesterday. Also, a 73-year-old driver was found dead behind the wheel here in Okaloosa County. Talk about that story in just a little while as well. Plus, about 20 minutes from now, your daily advice is coming up with Ask Uncle Bobby. (15:39) It's all on the way in this next half hour on the B Team Morning Show with 100.3 KROCK. 100.3 KROCK, the classic rock station. Good morning, everybody. It's the B Team Morning Show. Don't forget, college football kicks off this Saturday. (15:55) I know everybody's thinking about Labor Day weekend, but this Saturday, Florida State Seminoles host New Mexico State in Tallahassee. We'll have that game for you. Six o'clock kickoff, seven Eastern, Saturday night on 94.3 FTW. But there are some intriguing matchups on Saturday, Bobby. (16:14) You've got several power conference matchups. North Carolina TCU, USC in action on Saturday, NC State at Virginia, Stanford in action, of course Florida State, and Memphis and UNLV. Former Florida coach will be head coaching of the Rebels of UNLV again. (16:39) You've got a lot of football games coming up Saturday. It's just a little bit of a teaser. But Dan Mullins, UNLV running Rebels, back in action this year. I'll tell you what, ever since he left Gainesville, he's done pretty well. (16:55) We'll see how they do this year. But yesterday, Bobby, the Okaloosa County Commission on the Status of Women recognized eight accomplished women as members of the Women's Hall of Fame for their lasting contributions to the community. Honorees include Megan Blancho, recognized for her legal and professional achievements. (17:14) Vanessa Day Akeen, honored for expanding healthcare access across the panhandle for vulnerable women. Simona Ferroni, celebrated for her entrepreneurial success and leadership. Dr. Christine Kedroski, recognized for her community service and work with Northwest Florida State College. (17:35) Christina Larson, honored for her decades of service and emergency response. Heather Ruiz, recognized for her leadership in marketing, business and community organizations. Dr. Linda Smith, honored for decades of dedication to education and child advocacy. (17:51) And Dr. Michelle Stevenson, recognized for her work supporting small business and community preservation. So congratulations to you ladies on your recognition and accomplishments over your career. A 73-year-old woman from Moss Point, Mississippi was found dead Sunday morning in the driver's seat of a vehicle westbound on I-10 here in Okaloosa County. (18:16) According to FHP, Florida Road Rangers responded around 8 a.m. to what appeared to be a disabled vehicle near mile marker 55 and discovered the woman inside. The Crestview Fire Department arrived shortly afterward and pronounced her dead at the scene. (18:33) The Florida Highway Patrol's Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence is investigating, but authorities say the circumstances do not currently appear to be criminal and no additional information about the woman or the cause of death has been released at this point. (18:48) So there you go. All right, are you ready to give advice at about seven minutes? Maybe. All right, I'm going to give you seven minutes to get ready then. Sammy Hagar, I Can't Drive 55. It's the B Team Morning Show on 100.3 KROCK. (19:06) Gotta hidey-hide. You gotta jump and run. John Fogarty's Old Man Down the Road on 100.3 KROCK. The Classic Rock Station 747. The time, beautiful sunshine this Tuesday morning and 75 degrees here in Fort Walton Beach. (19:26) All right, well it's the time of the morning where we all turn our attention to Uncle Bobby for the daily advice that we've all come to count on the last couple of years. Let's ask Uncle Bobby, all brought to you by our friends at Hard Rock Bet. Hey pageantry, tradition, fight songs. (19:42) You know college football is back and Hard Rock Bet is your home for betting Saturdays. Small but mighty week zero slate. You've been waiting all summer for real football and now it's finally here. So get it on, get in on the action on Hard Rock Bet, Florida's only legal sports book. (19:58) Offered by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Florida must be 21 or over and physically present in Florida to wager. Terms and conditions apply and concerned about your gambling. Well, call or text 1-833-PLAYWISE. Beautiful. All right. Uncle Bobby, your question today comes in from Spreadsheet Ladder Climber. (20:15) Dear Uncle Bobby, I just got promoted, but after a bad joke at our company retreat, I feel like I got socially demoted. So how do I recover without ruining my career? Hey, look, you already said it. Promoted, demoted. (20:30) It's the same event, different spreadsheet. See, look, corporate America doesn't promote people. It relabels the cage. They slap a shinier title on you, like a fresh coat of paint on a condemned building, and then they wait for you to say one little retreat joke so they can move you from the respectable floor to the emotional basement. (20:51) See, that retreat wasn't a party. No, it was, it was a loyalty audit with appetizers. The moment you grabbed a microphone or even made a just kidding face near the nachos, you entered a courtroom where everyone's a judge, jury, and well, an HR witness, honestly. (21:06) So congratulations. Your promotion made you a bigger target. Nobody cares when an intern bombs a joke, but when you bomb one with a new title, well, it's treated like insider trading. See, recovery, that's easy. You got to stop trying to be liked. (21:22) Liked is for people without access to the budget. You lean into the fact that success is punishment. You walk into Monday, like a freshly appointed villain in a mid-level superhero movie, just calm, polite, unreadable. You don't apologize because apologies are, are blood in the water. (21:41) You send one email that is so aggressively professional, it makes people feel underdressed for reading. You become the person who says circling back and means it like a threat. And if you want the social hierarchy to reset, well, you don't climb back up. (21:58) You rearrange the ladder. You start a passive aggressive paper trail. So immaculate it could be displayed in a museum. You become the quiet reason. The coffee machine is always broken. Right before the awesome gossip, awesome office gossip tries to gather, not sabotage, just fate, corporate fate promotions or demotions in disguise. (22:22) And the only winning move is to make everyone else afraid. The joke near you ever again. All right. Well, there's your advice this morning. Spreadsheet ladder climber. Uncle Bobby says, don't worry about it. (22:39) All right. Well, let's, uh, let's take a break, pay a couple bills. Dan diamond's got local news coming up, but of course we do ask uncle Bobby every weekday morning, around seven 45, all stitched together by our friends. (22:54) Computer wants to chime in. Everything's making noise this morning. You can find all the past episodes of ask uncle Bobby online at The B Team show.com. Seven 51 local news is next on 100.3 KROCK 0.3 KROCK. (23:14) The song has been judged by a professional. And he agrees it's as much crap as I do. Emerson Lake in Palmer on a 100.3 KROCK. The classic rock station, apparently a state rep, Pat Maney, not a big fan of that, of that too, neither. (23:30) So you, you, you and Bobby have some, something in common. I think that song's a train wreck. He looks at me and he says, what kind of music is that? Sounds like it's computer generated. It's terrible. (23:45) Well, I gotta tell you, uh, and I'm sorry, you'll always be judged to me, but we did try to find you the most bench-like chair we could. So I wanted you to feel comfortable. No gavel. Schuyler said no to that. I mean, you can pick up that mic stand and pound it on the table there a little bit, if you want, if it makes you feel at home, nobody's going to be in contempt today, I hope, man, that'll be a first for me. (24:11) Well, good morning, everybody. Yeah, it's The B Team morning show. Schuyler Black and Bobby Dewrell on 100.3 KROCK brought to you by Stripes Pub and Grill in Navarre, Okaloosa Gas at Outkast Sushi in Miramar beach. And this morning, Bobby, uh, state rep, Pat Maney joining us on the air. (24:28) That's right. That's right. Yeah. Welcome. Welcome. And I'm joining another Dewrell. Yeah. Well, you know, I mean, this one's not a lawyer though. Well, I gotta tell you, ever since he sentenced me to this role, it's, uh, Oh, I'm sorry. (24:44) Community service. Yeah. Yeah. Voluntold. That's right. Keep telling the FAA, FCC, or whatever three letter agency we're talking about. Yeah. Yeah. There's the ones that are listening. Well, this morning we wanted to bring you in a little bit, uh, to chat about some, some, uh, maybe potential concerns that, uh, you might have with the, uh, with the upcoming property tax amendment and ad valorem bill. (25:15) That's going to be on the ballot here in a couple months. And, um, kind of wanted to see your opinion on it, your take and, and, uh, how you feel things may change if, if it does pass, well, first off, thanks for the question. (25:30) It is a complicated question, but in some sense, the path to an answer is pretty simple. I'm one of two Republicans who voted against putting that on the ballot, not because I don't want the public to have a voice, not because I don't think property taxes or, or our whole tax system could be reworked, but because of two things, one, I have serious constitutional concerns about the bill, about the resolution. (26:05) The courts have dealt with one of those two concerns and made the attorney general rewrite the title and some pieces of the bill of the resolution. Um, so that's good, but that leaves the second piece, which is violation of both the federal constitution and the state constitution that have equal protection clauses. (26:32) And for those of you, uh, I would say like brother Dewrell, he may not be old enough to remember, but there was a time back in the late seventies when the legislature imposed a fee on people who moved from out of state and brought their vehicles with them, having not paid Florida sales tax because they lived in Alabama or Tennessee. (27:01) Yeah. The old impact fees. Yeah. I remember that. And that lasted for a couple of years till it made it through the courts. And the court said, the Florida constitution says you have to treat everybody the same to me, the provision of this resolution, treating people who moved to Florida after December 31 of 2026, differently than people who are here on December 31. (27:29) I think that's going to violate the equal protection clause of the state constitution and of the federal constitution. And so my concern is I think we owe the public a clear explanation of what's happening, what could happen. (27:48) And the fact that we may go down this road just to have the court strike it down in a year or so like happened in Virginia and their redistricting case where they went through a whole referendum, the voters voted, and then the court said, it doesn't count. (28:09) Well, that leaves the public, the body politic frustrated as can be. And I think they should be, you know, we voted for it or we voted against it. And now, now we're not going to get the benefit. It also creates a problem for governments who then adapt to the new constitutional provision and then have to go change. (28:34) I mean, it just to me is a train wreck waiting to happen. You know, the thing that scares me about it is it's applied to Homestead, which everybody says, but only Homestead. And so I, you know, I have some investment properties. And so where I keep laughing with Schuyler or what I keep saying is it scares me because what's going to happen is they're going to go up on my investment properties and, and the way it's getting sold is, well, let's stick it to all the out of state investors. (29:01) Well, I don't, the majority of Florida investment property is owned by Florida residents. It's going to hit mom and pop kind of landlords who own one piece of rental property or two pieces of rent. (29:18) They kept their first home when they were able to buy their second home or whatever. Um, and of course that will flow through to the tenants. And if it's a commercial property or an industrial property, that's going to blow through to tenants or products because your cost of business has gone up. (29:42) There isn't, there isn't a free lunch. No, no, there isn't. And it only applies. Uh, property taxes work with two components. One is value and the other is rate. (29:57) This only addresses. So the local governments can still raise the millage rates. There's a cap on millage rates, but there's a way around the cap. So I just think the public is being set up for a massive disappointment. (30:17) When we were in Crestview a few weeks ago for their chamber event up there and listened to you speak a little bit, can I go into what the state of Florida did about 20 years ago with the initial homestead exemption and how that really affected emergency services and lack of property taxes in rural counties and how counties like Okaloosa could actually backfill small rural counties that don't have higher-valued properties? (30:46) It wasn't the initial one. It was the second $25,000 exemption that passed. And that would have had the effect of putting 29 counties out of business because they couldn't generate enough tax revenue to fund local government. (31:08) As a result, the legislature deemed them to be, quote, fiscally constrained. So as a fiscally constrained county, like Liberty County, for instance, that has fewer than 8,000 residents. (31:26) Holmes County. Holmes County. Yeah. Washington County. Places that don't have a beach. They don't have a lot of tourists except somebody stops at a gas station convenience store to fill up their car as they're going to or from someplace else. (31:44) Right. To or from a beach, right? Well, I mean, seriously, that's where we get our tourist revenue. Those fiscally constrained counties get an extra bump in gas tax revenue. (31:59) They get an extra bump in sales tax revenue. And they get money out of the general revenue account of the state of Florida, which means everybody else is paying part of that county's overhead. (32:17) So it's a shell game. It's a shell game. And if this amendment passes, I have no doubt that more counties will become fiscally constrained because you have fixed operating. (32:32) You have to have a tax collector, which is a fee office. But even they'll take a hit. You have to have a property appraiser. You have to have a sheriff. You have to have supervisor of elections. You have to have all of these government agencies by law, by Constitution. (32:54) And they all take money because people have to do the work and people are expensive. Fire departments, fire trucks cost over a million dollars now and take more than a year to get when an agency orders a new fire truck. (33:12) So even if you protect the wages of the people, you're not going to have the money to replace equipment, computer equipment, vehicles. Life is expensive. Right. And it's not just going to affect counties. (33:28) It's going to affect municipalities, fire control districts, every level of government that falls underneath the state. Mosquito control districts, Northwest Florida Water Management District is almost exclusively funded by ad valorem tax. (33:44) Well, and let's talk about those fiscally constrained counties because some people here are 29, but put that into context. We've got 67 counties in the state of Florida. That's 43%. That's nearly half. And that's my concern when we look at, because it's $250,000, isn't that what it is? (34:04) $250,000. Yeah, it's the first $250,000. How many homes in Washington, Liberty and Holmes combined are over? A quarter of a million dollars. A quarter of a million dollars. And aren't homesteaded. Right. (34:19) Yeah, so, I mean, we're easily talking we could probably add another five, maybe even ten counties. Very likely. Realistically, and now we're talking over half of our counties. And that, to me, leads into my other concern of we're undertaking a vast project with a half-bast idea. (34:40) We haven't done the research. We haven't done the work to figure out what its real effects would be. There is, by constitution, a government body that meets once every 20 years, and 2027 it's scheduled to meet, called the Tax and Budget Commission. (35:03) Why wouldn't we let them study the issue, come back with a plan for how to implement this rather than just say, oh, we're going to exempt X number of dollars. And, of course, the governor's initial proposal was to exempt school taxes as well as property taxes for local governments. (35:25) Well, that would have added billions of dollars. Billions of dollars. And most of us, I think, believe it's in all of our best interest as a community to have good schools, safe streets, and a strong economy. (35:45) This rollout just seems like, let's just pass it and we'll figure it out from there. Well, it doesn't align to me with what I would consider... Conservative local values? Yeah, conservative local values. (36:00) I don't think it aligns with what I think of when I think Republican. This feels a little more socialist. A little more centralized, right? Less local control. It's very much going to affect and accrete power to Tallahassee and take power away from local elected officials. (36:22) And here in our area, in your listening area, we have counties with statewide low tax rates. We're not the counties that are using ad valorem money to pay for a gay rights parade. (36:41) Right. So we're going to punish the conservative counties because a few of the major metropolitan areas spend money that local officials around here, A, wouldn't be inclined to spend, and B, couldn't get re-elected if they did spend it. (37:03) I mean, we saw what happened in Fort Walton Beach just a few years ago when the city decided to impose a fire protection fee. And the city council changed. Now that's, you know, depending on your view, that's either good or bad. (37:20) But the point is, the local people in Okaloosa County don't want to pay more. They don't want to pay more. Right, right. And we're not wasting money here like in the major metropolitan areas where they have budgets that are just huge and you could hide a mere $150,000 or something and nobody will notice it. (37:47) In the city of Fort Walton budget, a $150,000 line item is a big item and people are going to look at it. Especially when you've got a 3% cap. That's right. You know, that's a great example of that pendulum never swings to the middle, right? (38:06) So I think we've kind of overcorrected from that swing on that fire fee. But the fire fee is an example. Right, it's a great example. Because the constitutional amendment as proposed doesn't limit assessments. (38:24) Yeah, so just call it something different. It doesn't limit raising, like the city of Fort Walton and Okaloosa County have water departments. It doesn't prohibit raising the water rates. (38:39) I mean, government has to enterprise money is typically enterprise and used for that purpose. Money is also fungible to some extent where this dollar spends just like that dollar. (38:54) Not always in the same pockets. I mean, I think we can expand the use of tourist dollars. But we have a tourist tax. What does that do to economic development? (39:13) Well, they don't have a tax. Do we need to have an economic development fee? I mean, and put that on all businesses? Well, we're trying to encourage businesses. Well, then we'll put it on homes. Well, but we're saying that we have a problem with affordable housing. (39:33) I mean, you kind of have to really think through the second and third order effects of what we're discussing. It just seems like a very short-sighted bill. Well, like I say, I think it's a vast project with a half-vast idea. So, real quick, we want to pivot because we're short on time. (39:51) And we're going to send you down to 94.3 FTW with Dan here in just a couple minutes. But something that Bobby and I talk about on the air all the time. What can Tallahassee do, what can our state legislature do, to try to bring rates down? (40:13) Because mine personally at home went from $4,600 to $5,300 this year. Man, I wish that's all mine did. I mean, if I don't change carriers every two years, they triple the rate to run you off. Well, I think that's one major point. Most homeowners don't shop their homeowners insurance. (40:32) Competition brings prices down. And that's on the homeowners. About the only thing I think realistically the legislature can do is work the reinsurance market so that the insurance companies can spread their risk more economically. (40:55) I think the legislature has beaten up on trial lawyers about as much as they can, limiting what lawyers can make on personal injury or property lawsuits, but not limiting what insurance companies can pay to defend. (41:18) I mean, if you have to pay your own lawyer and you get a full recovery, that means you didn't get a full recovery because you can't replace it because you're paying your lawyer a big portion of your recovery. (41:40) So, I mean, it has to be more thoughtful than just we're going to beat up on the plaintiff's bar because victims do have a right to be made whole. They don't have a right to scam the system, and insurance companies certainly have a right to defend, but victims have a right to make their claim. (42:05) Well, I think it's a KROCK, the classic rock station. It's 847. This is the B Team Morning Show. I want to thank again State Rep. Pat Maney for coming in to challenge us this morning right here on 100.3 KROCK, and we will work with his staff to get him back in for another conversation here in the next few weeks. (42:24) A quick reminder, the City of Fort Walton Beach is holding its final August neighborhood cleanup this week through Thursday for residential sanitation customers. Residents may place large, unwanted household items, including furniture, appliances, and mattresses at the curb on their regularly scheduled yard waste collection day, provided the items are clear of mailboxes, fire hydrants, and utility boxes. (42:47) Now, construction debris, concrete, bricks, glass tires, and hazardous materials are not accepted. In addition, the city will also offer free residential tire pickup this Friday as well, but for that, make sure you call the city sanitation line at 833-9655. (43:07) All right, one more song, then we can say goodbye. Well, not really goodbye. More like getting ready for the encore hour. Here's Zeppelin on KROCK. And we're off the coast, we'll drive our ships to new land, fight the horde, sing and cry, Valhalla, I am coming. (43:50) Always sweeping, pressing on, I want to know where these arrested go. (44:13) Jumping around with the ice and snow from the midnight sun where the hot springs flow. So don't you feel so free in the whispered tales of gore, of how we call the tides of war. We are yet over now. (44:40) Always sweeping, pressing on, I want to know where these arrested go. So now you better stop, rebuild all your ruins, for peace and trust can win the day despite of all your losing. (45:01) It's 851, and that means the B Team morning show is out of time. 78 degrees right now in Fort Walton, the high today of 89. (45:39) And now, we're not really going anywhere, we're just flipping over to the encore hour at 9 o'clock where we get to talk about local events. So, stay with us. I want to thank you all for dialing in this morning on the B Team morning show. Thanks to our sponsors as well, Stripes Pub & Grill in Navarre, Okaloosa Gas at Outkast Sushi in Miramar Beach. (45:58) If you missed anything Bobby and I talked about on the air today, you can find it all on the show notes tab at thebteamshow.com. From local news and events to the wacky national holidays, your daily Ask Uncle Bobby feature, and the show on demand as well. Always online at thebteamshow.com. (46:16) Alright, I'm Schuyler Black, Bobby Dewrell, go ahead. Hey folks, thanks for joining the B Team morning show, your leading alternative for quality programming right here on the Emerald Coast. Now, we know you have a choice in what you listen to each and every day, and we appreciate the fact that you settled in for this wild ride that we call a morning show. (46:32) But it's come that time of day, we've got to mosey on out of here, so you keep on rocking, keep on rolling, never settle for the ordinary. Until the next time, the B Team is out. And that's a wrap on today's B Team Redux.