Legislature Approves Placing Homestead Property Tax Amendment On November Ballot
June 3, 2026
Both the House and Senate on Tuesday approved putting lower homestead property taxes on the November ballot, potentially keeping money in residents’ pockets while causing chaos with local budgets.
The measure, a priority of Gov. Ron DeSantis, passed the House 75-26 and moved through the Senate on a 30-9 vote. Rep. Michelle Salzman, Rep. Alex Andrade and Sen. Don Gaetz all voted in favor.
If 60% of voters approve in November, the constitutional amendment will raise the homestead exception from the current $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, with future increases tied to the Consumer Price Index.
RELATED: Escambia County Braces For $94 Million Revenue Loss If Homestead Amendment Passes
The exception for school taxes won’t be included and will remain at $25,000.
New Florida residents won’t qualify for anything more than the $50,000 exemption until they have lived in their home for five years. For non-homestead properties, future value assessments will be capped at 5% per year instead of the current 10%.
Governments will be limited in how they can spend their remaining property tax revenue, restricting it to public safety, infrastructure, schools, debt service, pensions, county constitutional officers (like Elections Supervisors, Clerks of Court, and Property Appraisers), and essential local government operations or administrative costs.
RELATED: Century Stands To Lose About $10K A Year If Property Taxes Are Cut
Century Council, Mayor Donate $1,000 For Northview FFA State Convention Trip
June 3, 2026
The Northview High School FFA chapter received $1,000 in donations Tuesday night after requesting funds from the Century Town Council to attend the state FFA convention in Orlando later this month.
Numerous Northview FFA members will compete in several events, and nine students will be awarded their State FFA Degree — the highest FFA honor at the state level — and one will receive the American FFA Degree.
“What they are trying to do is build future leaders,” Council member John Bass said. “I would definitely like to be part of that as a council.”
The town council voted to contribute $750 from budgeted donation funds, and Mayor Ben Boutwell committed to a personal donation of $250.
“These are your future leaders,” Boutwell added.
Pictured: Northview FFA President Grace Oliver and member Jackson Simmons address the Century Town Council Tuesday night.NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century Stands To Lose About $10K A Year If Property Taxes Are Cut
June 3, 2026
If voters approve a property tax cut in November, the impact on the Town of Century will be negligible because most of the town’s revenue is not generated by property taxes.
The impact on the town in the first year (FY 2027-2028) with a $150,000 homestead exemption is estimated at $9,320, according to an estimate by the Escambia County Property Appraiser’s Office. Under the full $250,000 exemption in the second year, Century would lose $10,823 based on the 2025 tax rolls.
RELATED: Legislature Approves Placing Homestead Property Tax Amendment On November Ballot
“As a homeowner, of course I don’t want to pay property taxes,” Century Council member Shelisa Abraham said Tuesday night. “As a council person, I realize we need that income to keep us going. For a small municipality of Cenutry, this will create a shorfall for us. You may have to cut local services or raise utility prices to make up for it.”
The current Century budget relies on property taxes for $59,680 for the general fund and $45,000 for the CRA, for a total of $104,680.
A majority of Century’s $9.2 million 2025 budget was funded by utilities at $2.11 million and grants at $5 million.
RELATED: Escambia County Braces For $94 Million Revenue Loss If Homestead Amendment Passes
Escambia County Braces For $94 Million Revenue Loss If Homestead Amendment Passes
June 3, 2026
If voters approve a homestead property tax amendment in November, Escambia County government will face a major reduction in revenue.
For Escambia County, it’s estimated that will be just over $38 million the first year and $56.2 million the second year, according to estimates from Escambia County Property Appraiser Bubba Peters and his staff, based upon the 2025 tax roll.
RELATED: Legislature Approves Placing Homestead Property Tax Amendment On November Ballot
“We been strategizing, planning different ways to make up for the shortfall,” Escambia County Administrator Wes Moreno said on Tuesday afternoon. “Sometimes that is a reduction of services.”
West Florida Public Libraries will lose $2 million in year one and $3 million in year two.
For the City of Pensacola, it’s $7.2 million gone by the second year, and for Century that’s about $10,800.
The Escambia County Children’s Trust would see ad valorem revenue drop by $3.2 million in year two.
Schools will not be impacted and will be excluded from the increased homestead exemption.
RELATED: Century Stands To Lose About $10K A Year If Property Taxes Are Cut
Jessica Rhea Named Bratt Elementary Volunteer Of The Year
June 3, 2026
Jessica Rhea was named the Bratt Elementary School Volunteer of the Year. Rhea logged 172 volunteer hours during the last school year. Pictured: Bratt Elementary School Principal Amy McCrory (left) and Volunteer of the Year Jessica Rhea. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Deploys 43 New Artificial Reefs
June 3, 2026
Escambia County recently deployed 43 new artificial reefs, providing excellent habitats for marine life and adding even more local reef sites for anglers and divers to explore.
The reefs were deployed by the Escambia County Marine Resources Division and Walter Marine, with 217 concrete modules distributed across the 43 artificial reef locations.
Funding sources for the new artificial reefs included:
- $500,000 from Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment for 39 sites
- $60,000 from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Artificial Reef Program, funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Sport Fish Restoration Program for three sites
One of the new artificial reefs was privately funded by friends and family of the late Capt. Robert Edward “Eddie” Lively, a local charter boat captain and lifelong deep sea fisherman who passed away in 2025.
These artificial reefs are constructed as part of an experimental design process, which provides opportunities for scientific research and insight into optimal designs for future artificial reef projects. The artificial reef experimental design process was a collaborative effort by the Escambia County Marine Resources Division, Escambia County Marine Advisory Committee, Santa Rosa County Environmental Department, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Sea Grant, University of West Florida, and Escambia High School science staff, teachers and students.
The location of the new artificial reefs is 4.5 nautical miles at 110 degrees from Pensacola Pass, with water depths of 45-55 feet.
Coordinates for the new artificial reefs are in the Escambia County Public Artificial Reefs List at myescambia.com/artificialreefs.
Arquette’s Late Homer Becomes Wahoos Walk-Off Winner In Rain-Shortened Win
June 3, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos “walked off” the Chattanooga Lookouts by a final score of 5-4 in seven innings on Tuesday night. The win came under an unusual yet clutch circumstance, as a three-run homer by Aiva Arquette proved to be the final at-bat for either side before a raging thunderstorm engulfed Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The Blue Wahoos (27-25) hold a 5-2 edge over the Lookouts (27-25) this season with the win today, previously taking four of six at Erlanger Park in the two teams’ first series earlier this season. The victory also elevates Pensacola to a tie for second place in the South Division of the Southern League, now just 1.5 games back from Montgomery.
It was a big night for the new guys as the fresh additions of Arquette and Cam Cannarella provided the late-game power the Wahoos needed to edge ahead of the Lookouts. Joining Pensacola and making his Double-A debut, Cannarella picked up his first hit in the seventh inning with an infield single. Arquette, who had joined the Blue Wahoos a week ago, punched his second home run in as many weeks in the same inning to effectively secure the win.
Pensacola scored five runs on six hits as five different Wahoos recorded a knock, with Fenwick Trimble posting a 2-for-3 outing with a run scored. With his two singles tonight, Trimble tied Biloxi’s Dylan O’Rae for the Southern League lead in total hits with 55.
Chattanooga opened the scoring early after a Jay Allen II sacrifice fly into left scored a runner from third. Though two initial outs spelled trouble, Pensacola answered back in the bottom of the frame. Trimble got aboard with a single that rolled slowly down the third base line, and an offline throw from Chattanooga starter Kevin Abel (L, 3-3) allowed Trimble to hustle to second.
Dillon Lewis drew a walk in the following at-bat, and a wild pitch saw both runners move into scoring position. Ryan Ignoffo delivered, driving a single through the right side to score the pair and give the Wahoos a one-run edge, 2-1.
Two scoreless innings passed before the Lookouts evened the score in the fourth inning as former Blue Wahoo Shane Sasaki singled home Allen. Chattanooga pressured with two more runs in the fifth on an opposite field two-run home run from Carlos Jorge, pulling away with a 4-2 lead.
Reliever Kade Bragg (W, 2-1), who took over for Blue Wahoos starter Jacob Miller in the fifth, held off the Chattanooga bats through the sixth and seventh with three strikeouts earned and no hits relented. Held without a hit since the fourth inning, the Pensacola offense turned a pivotal bottom of the seventh as rain began to fall. Jay Beshears drew a one-out walk, followed by Cannarella ripping a line drive that ricocheted off the glove of Abel.
With two aboard and the sky opening up, it couldn’t have been better timing as Arquette powered a no-doubter over left field for his first hit of the night. The three-run home run proved to be a walk-off as lightning danced across the sky above Blue Wahoos Stadium, earning the series-opening 5-4 victory after a futile hour-long attempt to wait out the rain.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Lookouts on Wednesday.
written by Maddy Branning
‘They’ve Stepped Up’ — State To Take Care Of Repairs To Collapsed West Bogia Road
June 2, 2026
The Florida Department of Transportation will make repairs to West Bogia Road, which collapsed at South Century Boulevard (Highway 29) during flooding caused by torrential rainfall on Sunday afternoon.
“I’m so appreciative of our friends at FDOT for both their support of my constituents and the timeliness of their response,” Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry said. “They’ve stepped up and let us know that they will take care of all repairs, and I can’t thank District 3 Secretary Tim Smith and all of his staff enough.”
“We determined that it was in state right-of-way,” Ian Satter, FDOT spokesperson, told NorthEscambia.com Monday afternoon. “Our engineer is on site now.”
Satter said FDOT is gathering materials, including the required oversized draining pipe, and hopes to have the materials in place later in the week. “We hope to begin the fix by the end of the week,” he added. There is no immediate timetable for completion, but work is expected to take at least a couple of weeks, but we will post any available updates here on NorthEscambia.com.
Lengthy Detour – Dirt Road Or Distance
For members of Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church, what is normally a half-mile trip from Highway 29 to the church on West Bogia Road will now be a lengthy detour. One option — South Pine Barren Road — includes three miles of dirt road, which is either very sandy or muddy and slippery depending on the weather and is not very suitable for smaller vehicles. The other option, using Pine Barren Road and Highway 164, is just over 13 miles but is all paved.
What Happened
Radar estimates showed a three-hour rainfall approaching six inches in the McDavid area.
While Highway 29 at West Bogia Road was under several feet of water, West Bogia Road washed away and collapsed at a culvert about 35 feet off of Highway 29. The deluge of water that destroyed the county roadway was from fast-moving water in the overflowed ditch alongside the state-maintained roadway.
The culvert pipe is 78 inches (6.5 feet) in diameter and 40 feet long.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
New Lane Closures Begin Today In West Roberts Road $4.6 Million Drainage, Widening Project
June 2, 2026
An An Escambia County $4.6 million West Roberts Road widening and drainage improvement project moves into a new phase today.
Lanes will be closed along West Roberts Road between Stallion Road and Tate Road beginning Tuesday, June 2. Work is expected to be completed by Friday, July 24.
Traffic on West Roberts Road will be detoured along Stallion Road, East Kingsfield Road, Tate Road, and Highway 29.
Residents, pedestrians, local traffic and emergency vehicles will have access to properties within the work area at all times; however, there may be short periods when a driveway or entrance may be blocked temporarily as equipment and materials are moved during construction.
The widening and drainage improvements are along a 1.75 mile stretch of West Roberts from the Highway 29 intersection west to the southern turn to Sutton Place. The project will widen the roadway to two 12-foot-wide travel lanes with 5-foot-wide shoulders from Pine Forest Road to HIghway 29. The roadway from the southern turn to Pine Forest will be resurfaced and striped.
The $4,635,298.30 project being funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was awarded to contractor C.W. Roberts, Inc.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Century Man Tased, Shot By Deputies With Less-Lethal Gun Charged With Trailer Attack
June 2, 2026
A Century mans faces multiple charge after allegedly attacking a disabled individual, jumping through a window to escape deputies, and barricading himself inside a local convenience store bathroom before being shot by deputies with a less-lethal weapon last Friday, May 29.
This is an update to a story we first published minutes after the incident on Friday.
Cortez Rasheen Davison, 32, was arrested and charged with felony abuse of an elderly or disabled adult without great harm, misdemeanor criminal mischief, and misdemeanor resisting an officer without violence. He is currently being held in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $8,500.
According to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, the incident began when a male victim walked into the Century Precinct to report that Davison had broken a window at his mobile home located in the 7800 block of Alger Road. The victim told deputies that Davison had been invited to stay at the residence a few days prior because Davison claimed he was seeing “demons”. The victim said Davison later brought a window air conditioning unit to the trailer and returned on May 29, 2026, demanding money for it. The victim refused to pay until Davison repaired the broken bathroom window, which sparked the altercation.
When four deputies responded to the Alger Road trailer to investigate, they heard a woman screaming “get off him” and “stop,” alongside loud crashing noises coming from inside. Deputies forced entry into a back bedroom, where they observed Davison on top of the victim, striking him with a closed fist.
Davison refused verbal commands to stop, ignored orders to be detained, and jumped onto a bed next to a window. A deputy deployed an agency-issued Taser, which momentarily locked Davison up, but he broke free from the probes and jumped through the bedroom window, shattering the glass as he fled southbound on Alger Road, according to the report.
After cutting through a neighboring yard into the woods, Davison emerged at 7900 N Century Boulevard. A deputy used his less-lethal bean bag gun and held Davison at gunpoint but as another deputy attempted to physical detain him, Davison got up from a kneeling position and ran southbound along North Century Boulevard.
Deputies deployed a Taser with no effect and fired multiple less-lethal bean bag rounds as Davison crossed North Century Boulevard. Davison then ran into the Century Food Mart and locked himself inside the restroom, the report states. Store employees provided deputies with the keys, and Davison was taken into custody.
Davison, who had swelling on his cheek, was evaluated by EMS and transport to Baptist Hospital for medical clearance before being booked into jail.
The victim, according to the arrest report, was previously diagnosed with a learning disability and suffered a facial laceration.
While at the hospital, Davison claimed to deputies that the victim had attacked him first and placed him in a headlock after a disagreement over borrowed money, but deputies noted there were no physical marks or bruising on Davison’s neck or shoulders to support his claim.
The ECSO said no actual shots were fired, and there were no injuries to deputies or citizens.
The Flomaton Police Department also responded and assisted.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
