Amendments: Marijuana and Abortion Rights Fail. Here’s What Passed
November 6, 2024
Here are statewide results for amendments on Tuesday’s general election:
Amendments require 60% to pass.
Amendment 1 – Partisan School Board Members – FAILED (not 60%)
Yes for Approval — 5,476,752 — 54.95%
No for Rejection — 4,490,187 — 45.05%
Amendment 2 – Right to Hunt and Fish – PASSED
Yes for Approval — 6,919,656 — 67.39%
No for Rejection — 3,348,342 — 32.61%
Amendment 3 – Recreational Marijuana – FAILED (not 60%)
Yes for Approval — 5,923,417 — 55.86%
No for Rejection — 4,679,793 — 44.14%
Amendment 4 – Abortion Access – FAILED (not 60%)
Yes for Approval — 6,041,683 — 57.11%
No for Rejection — 4,537,040 — 42.89%
Amendment 5 – Homestead Annual Inflation Adjustment – PASSED
Yes for Approval — 6,664,261 — 66.04%
No for Rejection — 3,426,958 — 33.96%
Amendment 6 – Public Campaign Financing – FAILED (not 60%)
Yes for Approval — 5,016,849 — 50.41%
No for Rejection — 4,934,410 — 49.59%
Voters Renew Half-cent Sales Tax For Escambia Schools
November 6, 2024
Voters in Escambia County approved the renewal of a half-cent sales tax for schools.
With 80 of 80 precincts reporting, 68.91% (105,969) votes were for the referendum, while 31.09% (48,251) voted against.
The current half-cent tax, which was passed a decade ago, expires on December 31, 2027. The 10-year referendum that passed Tuesday will go into effect on January 1, 2028. The sales tax, which amounts to 50 cents for every $100 spent, was first approved in 1997.
The half-cent sales tax funds can pay to construct new school, along with additions and renovations to existing schools. The funds can also acquire or improve land and add or upgrade equipment at schools.
“Over the years, this innovative funding source has become a cornerstone for the school district’s ambitious projects, providing crucial support for the construction of replacement schools such as AK Suter Elementary, Ernest Ward Middle, and Pleasant Grove Elementary, as well as new schools like Global Learning Academy, Kingsfield Elementary, and Beulah Middle,” Escambia County School Superintendent Keith Leonard said recently. “These funds have also supported renovations and additions at existing facilities: West Florida High, OJ Semmes Elementary, Ferry Pass Middle, Pensacola High, and essential advancements in technology.”
Pictured: Ernest Ward Middle School. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Complete Escambia County Election Results
November 6, 2024
Here are complete, but unofficial, election results from Escambia County.
Click image to enlarge, or zoom.
Steve Stroberger, Who Ousted Jeff Bergosh, Wins District 1 Commission Seat Over Write-In Candidates
November 6, 2024
The candidate that ousted incumbent Jeff Bergosh in the Republican primary for Escambia County Commission District 1 easily won the seat Tuesday against two write-in candidates.
In Tuesday’s general election, Steve Stroberger received 94.82% of the vote against write-in candidates Tyler Aulger and Justin Smith whole collectively received 5.18%.
In a three-way race for the Republican primary in August, Stroberger (pictured left) received 4,793 votes (54%). Bergosh had 3,260 votes (37%), while Jesse Casey received 795 (9%).
Stroberger is a retired Navy officer and Marine. He worked in the private sector primarily in the aerospace and defense industries.
Bergosh has served on the Escambia County Commission since 2016, following 10 years on the Escambia County School Board.
Ashlee Hofberger Wins District 4 Escambia Commission Seat
November 6, 2024
Republican Ashlee Hofberger is the winner of the District 4 Seat on the Escambia County Commission.
With 62.1% of the vote, she defeated Democratic challenger Ron Helms with 37.9%.
The District 4 seat was left vacant after Robert Bender was appointed Supervisor of Elections in January. In mid-October, Hofberger was sworn in to the seat after being appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Hofberger is owner of The Wash Room laundromat and Bogeys Golf Suites. In 2012, she opened the emergency restoration firm Complete DKI and later sold it to the national company First Onsite in 2021.
Century Voters Approve Two Charter Amendments, Reject Third
November 6, 2024
At the polls Tuesday, Century voters approved two amendments to the town’s charter while rejecting a third.
Maylor Luis Gomez, Jr. had encouraged residents to approve all three questions for “securing a strong future for Century” and for “shaping what is next for our town”.
Question 1 PASS
Yes – 299 (57.83%)
No – 218 (42.17%)
What it says: Amends the charter to remove specific bidding, contracting, purchasing, and expenditure requirements and procedures from the charter, and provide that town bidding, contracting, purchasing, and expenditures will be governed by town ordinances, policies, and procedures adopted by the town council.
The issue: One of the big problems for the town has been a hard spending limit in the charter of $200 for the mayor without council approval. The mayor has often been forced to wait weeks for council approval before making purchases deemed necessary.
What happens next: The town council will develop policies and procedures for purchasing, bidding, contracts and related practices. That will include new spending limits for the mayor. The policies and spending limit can be changed in the future by a council vote. A date for the change has not been set but the council is expected to begin the process soon.
Question 2 FAIL
Yes – 196 (37.91%)
No – 321 (62.09%)
What it says: Amends the charter to expand the Mayor’s powers to select, appoint, suspend, and remove town employees and appointive administrative officers, by limiting the requirement for council approval of such actions solely to the selection, appointment, suspension, or removal of the town clerk, town attorney, and town manager.
The issue: The town charter requires the mayor to hire, and fire, employees only after getting approval from the town council. And over recent years, there has been a lot of tension and even a stalemate between the mayor and council over hiring employees. The mayor can’t hire employees without council approval, even down the lowest level employee.
What happens next: Nothing changes since voters rejected the chance. Without council oversight and approval, the mayor cannot hire, terminate, or suspend any employee.
Question 3 PASS
Yes – 372 (72.09%)
No – 144 (27.91%)
What it says: Amends the charter to correct scrivener’s and codification errors, and to conform charter provisions to the requirements of the Florida Election Code.
The issue: Scrivener’s errors, by common definitions, are typographical errors, misspellings, omitted words or other common errors–essentially typos. There are multiple errors in the old charter, including some that don’t agree with current Florida law.
What happens next: The town will go to work to correct the errors in the charter, presumably with guidance of their attorney and approval of the town council.
What’s a charter?
The Century town charter is the document that establishes the town, outlines its powers, and spells out how it should operate. The charter has not been updated in over 40 years, and that often creates problems in the operation of the town.
One of the big problems for the town has been a spending limit for the mayor of under $200 without council approval. And over recent years, there has been a lot of tension and even a stalemate between the mayor and council over hiring employees. The mayor can’t hire employees without council approval, even down the lowest level employee.
The charter has other issues with outdated provisions not following changes in current state law.
How did the recommended changes come about?
In recent years, the town sat a charter review committee to create a new draft charter, and the town council set about reviewing those changes. There were several snafus along the way, from the pandemic to wrong documents, which delayed the process.
The volunteer charter review committee spent about three years creating a draft of a completely new charter from beginning to end. The town attorney submitted another draft build around a town manager and no mayor, but the council later shelved that version.
The town council tossed out the full charter review committee recommendations made by the local citizens’ committee, instead opting for three changes of their own, but not a complete re-write.
Vote totals in this story are complete, but unofficial results.
NorthEscambia.com photo and images, click to enlarge.
Don Gaetz Elected To Florida Senate District 1
November 6, 2024
Don Gaetz, father of Republican U.S. Rep Matt Gaetz, was elected to the Florida District 1 seat during Tuesday’s general election.
Gaetz garnered 64.57% of the vote to 35.43% from Democratic candidate Lisa Newell
Gaetz previously served in the state Senate from 2006 to 2016, including leading as president from 2012 to 2014. He also served on the Okaloosa County School Board, and as Okaloosa County school superintendent
Newell, a political newcomer, has been publisher of the Gulf Breeze for over two decades.
The seat was previously held by Rep. Doug Broxson.
Incumbent Republican Michelle Salzman Reelected To Florida House Seat
November 6, 2024
Incumbent Republican Michelle Salzman easily defeated Democratic challenger Franscine Mathis for the Florida House District 1 seat by a 2-to-1 margin Tuesday.
- Salzman 58,566 (65.81%)
- Mathis 30,420 (34.19%%)
“I am grateful that we had a huge win for this community,” Salzman said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to serve my constituents for another term and focus on public safety and infrastructure, also homeowners insurance and care insurance.”
Salzman was first elected to the Florida House in 2020.
Matt Gaetz Reelected To U.S. House
November 6, 2024
Congressman Matt Gaetz was reelected Tuesday to represent Florida’s First Congressional District.
Republican Gaetz received 66.05% of the vote to Democratic Challenger Gay Valimont’s 33.95%
Pictured: Rep. Matt Gaetz during an appearance in Jay. NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Century Library Closed Saturday For Town’s Parking Lot Work
November 6, 2024
The Century Branch Library will be closed Saturday for parking lot work.
The Century Council recently approved a low bid of $11,265 from Gulf Coast Asphalt Maintenance for parking lot sealant, striping and sign replacement.
The library, which is adjacent to the town hall and shares a parking lot, will be closed all day Saturday for the planned work. All programs and events for Saturday have been canceled.
Other West Florida Public Libraries will be open as usual on Saturday.
The Century Library will reopen with regular hours on Tuesday, November 12. All WFPL locations will be closed for Veterans Day Monday, November 11.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.