Public commenters criticize property tax increases and county consulting spending

During the meeting's public comment period, residents raised concerns about property tax increases and the county's use of outside consulting for grant work.

Delta Hager, who identified himself during public comment, said his assessed property value had risen 3 percent and said he expected his next tax bill to increase by that amount, on top of earlier increases. "I told you a couple of months ago, I already it already went up 5%. I already paid that bill. So the next bill coming out will be 5 plus 8% increase," Hager said, expressing frustration about tax changes and overall inflation calculations mentioned in his remarks.

Sean Hill, identified as from the City of St. Joe, praised a commissioner for opposing retention of an outside consulting group to pursue grants and said county staff should be able to write grant applications. "I felt like you were looking out for our taxpayer money by turning down the proposal to keep the consulting group for the county," Hill said. He added that while grants can be useful, he worried about unnecessary spending and urged caution about county expenditures.

Why it matters: Public comment highlighted taxpayer concerns about property valuations and local spending priorities. Commissioners did not take an immediate action in response during the meeting; the remarks were heard as part of the meeting's public comment period.