Santa Rosa Sheriff Says Property Tax Amendment Will Force Deputy Layoffs

Santa Rosa County, FL (NewsRadio 92.3) -- Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson joined Pensacola's Morning News Monday with his assessment of what Florida's new property tax constitutional amendment could mean for his agency. He says if voters approve the measure in November, he will likely have to let deputies go and response times will suffer.

Johnson says what frustrates him most is that the governor repeatedly talked about carving out a protection for law enforcement budgets during the proposal's development — but when the final bill came together that protection was nowhere to be found.

Johnson says Santa Rosa County hasn't raised its millage rate in a long time and actually rolled it back most recently — meaning there is no cushion to fall back on when revenue drops. Johnson says he plans to sit down with the county property appraiser next week to start running numbers and get a sense of how big the hit will actually be.

Johnson put it simply — the whole point of local government is to protect people. Parks and beaches are great, but they only matter if people feel safe. And feeling safe costs money.

On another note, Johnson confirmed that a body found in a van on the Navarre Beach Causeway last week was ruled a suicide. He said his agency has been responding to more suicides lately and urged anyone who is struggling to reach out to someone before making a permanent decision. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available around the clock by calling or texting 988.

Watch for Farm Equipment Day and Night in North Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties

Jay, FL (NewsRadio 92.3) -- Jay farmer Ryan Jenkins is asking drivers in the north end of Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties to be on the lookout for farm equipment on the roads -- day and night. Jenkins tells NewsRadio that farmers across the region are racing to get crops in the ground as crop insurance deadlines are expiring on a gradual scale over the next few weeks, and he says tractors and equipment are running around the clock to make up for lost time. He asks drivers to be careful and patient if they encounter slow-moving farm equipment on rural roads.

Patronis On Property Taxes, AI Chatbots, Machine Guns, Daylight Saving Time and More

Pensacola, FL (NewsRadio 92.3) -- Northwest Florida Congressman Jimmy Patronis joined Pensacola Morning News Tuesday with a wide-ranging interview — covering Florida's property tax constitutional amendment, a warning about AI chatbots, updates on the machine gun bill and daylight saving time, and a reminder about tonight's town hall.

Property Tax Amendment

Patronis says his biggest concern about the amendment heading to November's ballot is what it does to the funding that pays for law enforcement and first responders — noting that when someone calls 911 and a deputy shows up in a minute and a half it is property taxes making that possible. He also flagged a likely cost shift to renters — landlords losing the homestead exemption on investment properties will pass that cost along through higher rents.

Patronis added important historical context — when Marco Rubio was Florida House Speaker a similar effort to eliminate homestead taxes included a 2.5 percent sales tax increase as replacement revenue. The Senate killed it. The current proposal includes no replacement revenue at all. He also raised the legislature's reluctance to guarantee K-12 funding — noting that Florida's sales tax-dependent economy is vulnerable to catastrophic events and that the legislature doesn't want to be on the hook for billions in school funding if the economy collapses. He said a five-year sunset provision would have been the smarter approach — forcing governments to tighten belts while giving voters a chance to confirm they want to keep the relief.

AI Chatbot Town Hall Tonight

Patronis is hosting a telephone town hall tonight at 6 p.m. with Florida Attorney General James Uthmire on the dangers of AI chatbots. Patronis says these platforms are befriending users in concerning ways — particularly when it comes to mental health guidance where chatbots tend to validate rather than challenge users. He says between 6,000 and 8,000 phones will be proactively called. Dial 833-305-1733 to participate.

Machine Gun Bill

The Firearm Freedom Act — which would legalize civilian purchase of fully automatic weapons — has been filed and is awaiting a committee hearing in commerce. Patronis frames the bill as opposing impediments to the Second Amendment rather than a personal desire to own a machine gun. He says firearm education must accompany expanded access. Both local sheriffs have raised concerns about the bill putting law enforcement at a disadvantage.

Daylight Saving Time

Patronis says the Sunshine Protection Act has now cleared committee in both chambers — more progress than it has ever made — and expects a floor vote before the end of summer. President Trump has also publicly backed making daylight saving time permanent.