Infrastructure Needs
As Navarre has grown its infrastructure needs have grown as well. Today we are in desperate need to improve everything from roads, to storm drainage, to sidewalks and power lines. These are all projects that a City of Navarre Beach can make happen faster and better!
Infrastructure is costly both in time and money. Because Navarre is not incorporated, infrastructure improvements in Navarre are managed by the Santa Rosa County government. However, since the Navarre area only represents a fraction of Santa Rosa as a whole, the county cannot properly prioritize the needs of Navarre residents when it comes to funding or planning resources.
By incorporating into the City of Navarre Beach, residents get their own city planners and access to new funding sources for the infrastructure they need.
Who pays for infrastructure?
Many people think that taxes will have to be raised significantly for the city to be able to afford these types of infrastructure improvements in Navarre, but that’s actually not the case. Cities have the staff and the ability to advocate for both Federal and State-level funding for infrastructure improvement projects. Often the majority of funds for large infrastructure projects within a city come from outside sources. The important aspect is having city planners and grant writers who will advocate for funding to be allocated to the city.
For example, Navarre’s neighbor Gulf Breeze is building a bridge over the McAbee Court pond, adding landscaping and a walking/cycling overpass across Highway 98 at no cost to Gulf Breeze residents through the use of state and private grants and funds (reference). Gulf Breeze was incorporated in 1961 and has it’s own city planners independent of Santa Rosa County which enables the city’s residents to push for infrastructure projects that benefit them directly.
