In 1994 the Board of County Commissioners imposed a 1% sales tax dedicated "to pay for ALL or part" of the cost for garbage removal. Since inception, this 1 cent small county surtax has produced $120.1 million dollars in revenue. Only $66.8 million has been spent on garbage removal. The balance was spent for anything but garbage pickup, usually for unbudgeted pet projects of some of the Commissioners.

There are approximately 10,900 condominiums in Walton County. The Solid Waste Contract that Walton County has with Waste Management for free residential garbage pickup paid for by the County excludes condos with more than 5 units from garbage pickup even though the condo owners have paid for it through the surtax, too.

Many condo complexes pay more than $30,000 annually for garbage removal above and beyond the ordinance that was implemented to collect a 1% sales tax dedicated "to pay for ALL or part" of the cost for garbage removal.

Since the beginning of the garbage sales tax, a condominium complex with 170 units has paid approximately $255,000 to Waste Management for garbage removal at their complex. All other residential dwellings have paid nothing. Is that fair?

Walton County collects so much money from this garbage tax that today only 53% is being used for garbage collection annually. It is very obvious that the 1% Sales Tax is capable of paying for ALL residential garbage removal.

I respectfully request that the Walton County Board of Commissioners put a stop to this unfair and egregious policy by voting to provide "Free Garbage Collection to ALL condominiums.

"Vote For Tax Equality".

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