Property Tax Bills Are In The Mail, And There Are Available Discounts
November 2, 2024
Scott Lunsford, Escambia County Tax Collector, has announced the collection of the 2024 real estate and tangible personal property taxes is underway. This year’s rolls include 185,133 accounts totaling over $464 million. Bills were delivered to the post office on October 31 for mailing.
Florida Statutes provides discounts for early payments as follows:
- November payments are discounted 4%
- December payments are discounted 3%
- January payments are discounted 2%
- February payments are discounted 1%
- March payments receive no discount, and the gross amount is due by close of business on March 31, 2025. Any payment made April 1 and after is considered delinquent and will be assessed a penalty.
When mailed, discounts are determined by postmark of payment. When a discount period ends on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, the discount period will be extended to the next business day for online payments or walk-in customers.
Many options are available:
- online payment center at EscambiaTaxCollector.com – Pay by eCheck. There is never an extra fee. Once your payment has posted, proof of payment may be printed online.
- 24–hour drop box
In addition, help is available for those taxpayers who may need to make partial payments. If a property owner decides to make partial payments, the following information applies:
- Property owner must submit an application (found on the back of the tax bill, online at EscambiaTaxCollector.com or available at the tax collector’s office) with initial partial payment.
- Partial payments are accepted for current year taxes only between November 1 and March 31.
- No discount allowed for partial payments.
- Partial payments are not accepted after March 31, and any remaining balance as of April 1 is delinquent and subject to all applicable penalties and fees.
Lunsford also encourages taxpayers to take advantage of the Tax Payment Installment Plan. By utilizing this plan, taxpayers make four quarterly payments instead of one lump sum payment. Each quarterly bill will receive a different discount for early payment as prescribed by Florida Statutes. The quarterly payments are due by the last day of June, September, December, and March. The Installment Payment Plan application deadline for 2025 property taxes is April 30, 2025.
Property owners can apply online at EscambiaTaxCollector.com.
Lunsford said, “The installment program not only helps ease the financial burden on taxpayers by allowing them to spread out the payments, it also provides a discount for making payments on time.”
Find more information on the installment plan by clicking here.
Tax revenue is generated for the various taxing authorities and is approximated as follows:
- Escambia County Board of County Commissioners – $226 million
- District School Board – $165 million
- City of Pensacola – $32.3 million
- Sheriff MSTU – $15.3 million
- Escambia Children’s Trust – $12.4 million
- Library MSTU – $11 million
- Northwest Florida Water Management – $683,200
- Downtown Improvement Board – $839,200
- Town of Century – $55,000
MSBU collections are detailed as follows:
- County Fire Protection – $21.3 million
- City Stormwater – $4.8 million
- Other MSBUs – $1.9 million
If you do not receive your tax bill by November 12, visit, EscambiaTaxCollector.com for the amount due or to print a copy. You can also call (850) 438-6500, ext. 3252.
Molino and Cantonment Head Start Fall Festival -Thursday
October 23, 2024
Ouida Louise Troutman McGill
October 23, 2024
Mrs. Ouida Louise Troutman McGill, age 88, passed away, Tuesday, October 22, 2024 in Atmore, AL, surrounded by her family. She was a native of Atmore, and a dedicated member of Brooks Memorial Baptist Church with a bright spirit that reflected her love for life. She retired as a telephone operator for Southland Telephone Company with many years of service.
Mrs. McGill enjoyed tending to her yard, where her hard work showed in the beautiful lawn she maintained. Watching her sons and grandchildren play sports brought her great joy, and she cherished quiet moments with a good book and her favorite shows, Wheel of Fortune and Brenda Gannt Cooking. Known for her delicious cooking, she made the best cornbread, lima beans, pound cake, and biscuits, and she never missed a chance to prepare a special cake for her family’s birthdays. With her morning coffee in hand, she also loved cheering for Alabama football and softball. Above all, Mrs. McGill adored spending time with her family, embodying the warmth and charm of a true Southern lady.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Carl (Maggie Mason) Troutman; husband, Lowell Stephen McGill, Sr; two brothers, Fredrick “Shorty” Troutman and Leon Troutman; and three sisters, Margaret Lockwood, Mary Mayson and Doris Cooper.
She is survived by her three sons, Lowell Stephen “Steve” (Janet) McGill, Jr; of Atmore, AL; Mark (Suzanne) McGill, of Atmore, AL; Bryan Wade (Farrah) McGill, of Atmore, AL; six grandchildren, Whitney Maholovich, Jordan Jones, Amanda Strawbridge, Haden McGill, Rease McGill, Wade McGill; seven great-grandchildren, Grady Jones, Will Strawbridge, Corbin Strawbridge, Thatcher McGill, Molly Jones, Jase Maholovich, Norah McGill; and other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, October 26, 2024, at 11 a.m. at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes with Rev. Tim Tew officiating.
Burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Saturday, October 26, 2024, from 10 a.m. until service time at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes.
Pallbearers will be Rease McGill, Haden McGill, Will Strawbridge, Jacob Maholovich, Lewis Jones, and Marion Cooper.
Clifton Herman Dunsford
October 18, 2024
Mr. Clifton Herman Dunsford, age 79, passed away, Friday, October 18, 2024 in Century, FL, surrounded by his family. He was born January 14, 1945, in Jay, FL, and has resided most of his life in Century. He was a retired supervisor with Wayne Dalton Doors with many years of service.
Mr. Dunsford was a man of many passions. He loved fishing and hunting, often spending his weekends outdoors, enjoying nature. As a skilled boat mechanic, he spent countless hours tinkering with engines and fixing up boats, which brought him a lot of joy. Gardening was another one of his favorite activities; he found great pleasure in planting and nurturing his plants. Most importantly, Mr. Dunsford cherished the time he spent with his family, creating lasting memories together in the great outdoors.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Herman Richard (Euceder Simmons) Dunsford; wife, Barbara Holley Dunsford; son, Christopher Allen Dunsford; three brothers, Wade Dunsford, James Dunsford, and Gene Dunsford; two sisters, Mollie Dunsford and Sadie Burkette; daughter-in-law, Sherry Dunsford.
He is survived by a daughter, Becky (Jamie) Cobb of Century; sister, Josie Driver of McDavid; four grandchildren, Marc Dunsford, Mitch Dunsford, Kolbi Cobb, and Kendal Payne; seven great-grandchildren, Cole Dunsford, Brayden Smith, Waylon Dunsford, Gabe Dunsford, Wesley Dunsford, Boe Payne, Jeremiah Dunsford, other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be held Monday, October 21, 2024, at 11 a.m. at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes with Rev. Glenn Johnson officiating.
Burial will follow at Pineview Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Monday, October 21, 2024, from 10 a.m. until service time at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes.
Pallbearers will be Cole Dunsford, Brayden Smith, Joey Gunter, Roger Burkette, Doug Dunsford, and Stephen Flowers.
Honorary pallbearers will be Waylon Dunsford, Gabe Dunsford, and Wesley Dunsford.
James L. Weatherford
October 18, 2024
James L. Weatherford, 74, of Cantonment, passed peacefully on October 16, 2024 after a lengthy medical battle.
Services will be held at Pine Forest Assembly of God Church in Cantonment on Saturday, October 26, 2024, at 11 a.m. with Pastor Gene Hudson officiating.
A luncheon will be held afterwards.
Gloria Jean Sanspree
October 17, 2024
Mrs. Gloria Jean Sanspree, age 76, passed away, Thursday, October 17, 2024 in Canoe, AL; surrounded by her family. She was born May 2, 1948 in Bay Minette, AL; and has resided most of her life in Canoe. She attended Canoe First Baptist Church and retired as a administrative assistant for the Board of Education for many years.
Mrs. Sanspree was a woman of many passions. She loved spending her time in the garden, planting and nurturing beautiful flowers that brightened her home. In the kitchen, she shared her love through cooking, always preparing delightful meals for her family. Known for her professional appearance, she cherished her jewelry, adding a special touch to her outfits. Her heart was filled with love for her husband, and they enjoyed attending church together. Mrs. Sanspree made it a priority to ensure her children and grandchildren could join them, creating a warm family tradition centered around faith and togetherness.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Leslie Owen (Roberta Florence Lewis) Glass, husband, Hosea Harrison Sanspree, Sr; two sons, Anthony Todd Sanspree, Hosea “Sandy” Sanspree, one brother, Dewayne Glass, one sister, Betty Loop and one niece, Sherry Lucas.
She is survived by her one daughter, Anna Tingle, Perdido, AL; two brothers, Rusty (Janet) Glass, of Castleberry, AL; David (Anita) Glass, of Wawbeek, AL; five sisters, Barbara Ann Dixon, of Flomaton, AL; Brenda (Wayne) Bell, of Brewton, AL; Roberta Strickland, of Walnut Hill, FL; Diane (Ronnie) Byrd, of Semmes, AL; Susanne Glass, of Foley, AL; twelve grandchildren, Brannon Sanspree, Tyler Sanspree, Gloria Santanna Tingle, Jessica Sanspree, Cole Sanspree, Savannah Tingle, Nick Sanspree,Tanner Sanspree, Breanna Sanspree, Anna Claire Sanspree, Ben Tingle, Bryar Tingle, nine great-grandchildren, Isabella Sanspree, Sophia Ikner, Caden Sanspree, Kalli Ikner, Trinnity Sanspree, Baxlee Sanspree, Kaison McCall, Gatlin Rolin, Gavin Rolin, other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be held Sunday, October 20, 2024 at 2 p.m. at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes with Rev. Waylon Stuckey officiating.
Burial will follow at Sardis Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Saturday, October 19, 2024, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes, LLC.
Pallbearers will be Brannon Sanspree, Tyler Sanspree, Tanner Sanspree, Danny Sanspree, Caden Sanspree, and Cole Sanspree.
Honorary pallbearers will be Ben Tingle, Bryar Tingle, and Nick Sanspree.
Brenda Bowers Tarin
October 9, 2024
Brenda Bowers Tarin, age 72, of Cantonment, Florida passed away from cancer on October 5, 2024. She was born on July 14, 1952, in Pensacola, Florida to William Roy and Barbara Bowers.
She grew up in Pensacola but spent a lot of time in Texas. Brenda worked at several places and was always busy wherever she was working. She had a love of Mexican food and fixed her super hot sauce for friends. It made their mouth’s burn, but they all laughed about it and still enjoyed every bite. She also liked to look at Christmas decorations, throw surprise parties for people, and she loved dogs. One of her favorite pastimes was watching TV. Brenda also loved talking to people, going out to eat with friends, and driving to the beach. She had a generous heart and helped people in need, even when she didn’t have much. She loved her family and they will miss her greatly. Her friends and neighbors were helpful and kind. When she got sick, they brought her much comfort.
Brenda is survived by her dad, William Roy Bowers; brother, William Paul Bowers; sister-in-law, Karen; her niece, Alexia Borden (Gray); and her nephew, Ariston Bowers (Fati).
She is preceded by death by her mother, Barbara Jean Bowers.
Memorial donations may be made to Hospice at Sacred Heart in Brenda’s name.
A Memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North with Dr. Ted Traylor officiating.
Pensacola Police Seek Missing Navy Pilot
August 21, 2024
UPDATE: This missing person has been located.
Pensacola Police are searching for Joshua David Carpenter, a 24-year-old Navy pilot stationed at Whiting Field. Carpenter went missing on August 20 around 7:20 p.m. after leaving his home on Forrest Glenn Drive.
Carpenter is described as a white male with brown hair and brown eyes, standing 6′2″ tall and weighing 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing a blue or green long-sleeved shirt and brightly colored shorts.
Carpenter was driving his 2017 silver Honda Civic hatchback with a Texas license plate number of TKH-227.
Additional information was not released.
Anyone with information on Carpenter’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Pensacola Police Department at (85) 435-1845.
Jim Taylor, Candidate Escambia County School Board District 5
August 17, 2024
Current occupation
Retired Educator
Previous occupations
Teacher, Coach, School Social Worker, 6 times Pensacola News Journal “Carrier of the Year”
Civic, church and other community involvement
I am Christian and attend several men’s bible study groups, including Band of Brothers, Highland Baptist Church, Heritage Baptist Church, and several other bible studies. I have worked in numerous food drives. I attend County Commission and School Board meetings.
Education
I have 3 college degrees as well as graduate work in 3 other fields, and I hold 5 current teaching certifications.
Previous offices held, previously sought
ECUA – unsuccessfully; County Commission – unsuccessfully; Superintendent – filed and withdrew when incumbent decided to run for third term.
Why are you running for the Escambia County School Board and what qualifies you for this position?
I am running for this position because I believe Escambia County deserves to be a Top 10 School System, not #57th in the State. I have 44 years in education with 3 degrees and 5 teaching certifications.
What are the three most important issues facing the Escambia County Public Schools?
(1) Teacher pay and retention; (2) Discipline; (3) Dealing with the dirty books
What is the school district going right at the current time, and what needs to be fixed?
Morale has improved with the appointment of Superintendent Keith Leonard. We must have better teacher pay and retention, along with improved discipline. We must reduce waste and administrative positions. We must get rid of the dirty books.
How would you address teacher pay, recruiting and retention and attract and retain more qualified candidates to Escambia County?
I will work with State and local governments to improve teacher pay and bonuses. I will also try to recruit higher paying businesses to improve the tax base and lower taxes.
How do we address issues surrounding book challenges?
I have been leading the charge against dirty books and I was the only District 5 candidate to be invited to Governor DeSantis’ bill signing on the dirty books. I suggest we follow the
guidelines of Governor DeSantis.
How should cell phones/devices in schools be addressed?
They should be placed in the child’s book bag and only allowed at lunch and after school.
What are the unique issues facing District 5 schools in Escambia County? What makes District 5 different?
Long bus rides — District 5 is over half the County in size but only receives 1/5 of the funding. We have rural, urban, and extremely rural areas, and problems to deal with. We also have wide extremes of wealth and povert
Tom Harrell, Candidate Escambia County School Board District 5
August 17, 2024
Current occupation:
Retired principal
Previous occupations
Business owner, teacher, assistant principal, principal, school district administrator on special assignment, adjunct instructor at Pensacola State College, math coach
Civic, church and other community involvement
NRA member, lifetime member of the PTA, former member of the Solutia Advisory Committee, Paul Harris Fellow Cantonment Rotary Club, Richard’s Memorial Methodist Church: former member -Church Council, President of Methodist Men, Chairman of Staff Parish Committee, former Principal of The Year Escambia School District, Former Teacher of The Year (Ransom Middle School), Recognized twice by the Escambia School Board for outstanding service.
Education
B. S. degree in Vocational Education from The University of West Florida
M. S. degree in Educational Administration from Troy State University
Ed. Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from The University of South Alabama
Master Teacher State of Florida
Selected for the first Principal’s Pool for the Escambia School District
My experience includes general ed, workforce education, ESE, and ranges from elementary through community.
Why are you running for the Escambia County School Board and what qualifies you for this position?
I am running for the Escambia School Board because I want to help make our School District one of the best in our state. I want to serve my community and bring my thirty-eight years of experience to the decision-making process on the School Board. I was a highly successful principal with a unique skill set. When I was principal, under my leadership, R. C. Lipscomb Elementary was a Five Star “A” school for ten straight years. This was the highest award given by the Florida Department of Education. Our test scores were among the highest in the state and nation. We had 100% parent and faculty PTA membership during my tenure. Forty-seven community business partners-in-education and over 23,000 volunteer hours each year. When I was District Administrator on Special Assignment, I developed the plan and provided the leadership that moved O. J. Semmes Elementary School from a double “F” to a “C” in seven months. Our School Board needs fresh innovative ideas to help both high performing schools and struggling schools. I believe my proven educational leadership skill set would be an asset to both the School Board and the community.
What are the three most important issues facing the Escambia County Public Schools?
Improving academic performance, discipline, attendance, graduation rate on time and teacher/employee salaries and retention.
We need to return to an elected superintendent. We should never have given up our right to vote for this position. At the appropriate time, I will make the motion to put elected superintendent on the ballot.
As long as we are in these hard economic times, I will not vote to raise your property taxes.
What is the school district going right at the current time, and what needs to be fixed?
We have a wonderful skilled and very adaptive workforce that has a great deal of institutional knowledge and experience. We need to do everything we can to keep our employees at all levels.
The Escambia School District has made considerable academic progress this past school year under the leadership of Keith Leonard. We now have no failing schools in our District. I commend Superintendent Leonard and all District employees for this great accomplishment but now we need to build upon this success.
Our Workforce Education Program is doing an excellent job as indicated by the number of industry certifications. We are getting more industry certifications than many of the larger school districts. It is important for our students to leave high school with job ready skills. We need to look closely at what is working in this area and increase student awareness of these opportunities.
How would you address teacher pay, recruiting and retention and attract and retain more qualified candidates to Escambia County?
Teacher and other employees’ salaries and benefits has to be set as a high budget priority.
We have to do a better job of creating trust and making employees feel valued.
I would support hiring bonuses for teachers and other employees in critical shortage areas.
When you create trust and make employees feel valued while improving salaries/benefits our employees will want to stay.
How do we address issues surrounding book challenges?
I will make sure inappropriate books are removed from our schools. I believe the reviews of books should take place by the committee up front before they are placed in our media centers and that a matrix should be used to with substantial community input.
Under no circumstances should our school be used for any type of indoctrination of students or staff.
I am a strong Christian conservative who would appoint like-minded individuals to book review committees. I am a strong anti-woke candidate.
How should cell phones/devices in schools be addressed?
In my opinion, cell phones/devices create a great deal of discipline problems. They contribute to bullying, fights and social targeting. I would start by supporting a policy that allowed student to have cell phones/devices in their backpacks for emergency use only. They could not use the phone/device except for well-defined emergencies.
What are the unique issues facing District 5 schools in Escambia County? What makes District 5 different?
District 5 is the largest geographically and is experiencing a tremendous amount of growth and development. Many of our schools have portables and are at maximum student capacity. We have to do a better job working with our county government to improve infrastructure in advance of development.