LAUREL HILL — City leaders are weighing the pros and cons of dissolving the city.
City Council Chairman Larry Hendren has distributed to other council members a draft document that will form the basis for a residents’ information handout once city leaders research and add material.
“This is just to get us started,” Hendren said during the council’s March 3 meeting. City leaders will add their research results to the document for review at the regular April 7 meeting.
Much of the data will have to come from consultation with Okaloosa County officials, Hendren said. Should the city dissolve, the county would assume jurisdiction over Laurel Hill.
Some matters Hendren and the council intend to present to voters for consideration include:
●Ad valorem taxes: the city currently collects $52,900 annually
●Gulf Power and CHELCO franchise fees and city taxes, currently about $46,000
●Water system management
●Laurel Hill Volunteer Fire Department status
●Street paving
●Mowing public land
●Gene Clary Park status
●Street lighting: unincorporated county street lights are funded by property owners through Municipal Services Benefit Units or by private contract
●Trash pickup: county garbage collection franchises do not extend into Laurel Hill at present
●Zoning: county could change its comprehensive plan to bring Laurel Hill properties in line with comparable county zones
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill council researching dissolution impact (VIDEO)