Port St. Joe commission accepts county settlement in annexation dispute

The Port St. Joe City Commission voted unanimously Nov. 4 to accept a settlement offer from Gulf County in a court case over a city annexation the judge found created an enclave.

Mayor (name not specified on the record) told the meeting the judge "ruled against the city that we, created an enclave," and the commission moved to accept the county's offer. A county attorney representative thanked the commission for the vote.

Resident Ronald Branch urged the commission to reconsider the annexation process and said he opposed the annexation, calling the parcel a "major deal" of roughly 115 acres and urging broader public notice. "So the public needs to be aware," Branch said during public comment.

City Attorney McHale reminded the commission that members had discussed the matter in a closed executive session prior to the meeting and said the staff will proceed under the terms negotiated with the county. The commission did not make additional findings on the record beyond the settlement acceptance.

What happens next: the commission accepted the settlement during the meeting; the vote ends the board's immediate deliberations on the matter and implements the settlement terms approved by the parties. Any further procedural steps or court filings were not specified in the public record at the meeting.