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Delegation votes to expand Gulf County port authority to include Gadsden and two neighboring counties
Summary
A local bill to expand the port authority to cover Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf and Liberty counties and revise the governing board passed the delegation vote after public testimony from economic development partners; supporters said regional coordination would spur jobs and logistics investment.
The delegation voted to approve a local bill that would expand an existing port authority’s geographic boundaries and change its governing board to include representatives from Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf and Liberty counties.
Senator Simon presented the measure as a regional economic step, saying the revised authority would preserve powers to acquire, operate and manage maritime and intermodal facilities while establishing a five‑member governor‑appointed board (two commissioners from Gulf County and one each from Franklin, Gadsden and Liberty counties) with staggered terms to ensure continuity.
Beth Cicchetti of the Gaston County Development Council described nearly $10 million in prior investments at the proposed Gretna intermodal logistics site and said coordinated rail and port repairs would unlock manufacturing, transportation and export opportunities for local agriculture and row crops. Multiple local officials and business representatives voiced support for the bill during the public comment period.
After brief additional public comments, the chair called for a motion and the delegation voted "aye" with no recorded opposition and declared the bill passed. No formal roll‑call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript and no amendments were offered on the floor.
