Santa Rosa Commission to Move Committee Meetings to Tuesday to Improve Efficiency

Santa Rosa County, FL (Newsradio 92.3) -- Santa Rosa County commissioners have approved a scheduling change designed to improve government operations and reduce staff strain. Beginning in 2026, the county will move committee meetings from Mondays to Tuesdays and shift agenda publication to Wednesday mornings instead of Fridays.

The change addresses several operational challenges commissioners have faced. When agendas are published late in the week, commissioners often find themselves working on Sundays to review materials and prepare questions—forcing them to contact staff on their personal time.

"A lot of times I find myself on Sunday I'm working through the agenda again, and then I'll find a question and it's the last thing I want to do is disturb people on Sundays, you know, on their time with their families to maybe go over an item that somehow skipped me," said commissioner Kerry Smith during the meeting.

Benefits of the Shift

• Earlier Public Notice: Publishing agendas Wednesday gives residents, media, and civic organizations more time to review items

• Better Preparation: Staff and commissioners will have more time during business hours to prepare materials and get accurate information

• Reduced Weekend Work: Commissioners won't need to conduct county business on Sundays

• Improved Facility Operations: The change addresses scheduling conflicts at the Tiger Point Community Center, which hosts quarterly meetings

The shift also aims to improve communication with the public. When questions arise over weekends—whether on social media or through media inquiries—the earlier agenda publication means staff has time during the week to provide accurate information rather than scrambling Monday morning to counter rumors or misinformation.

"The CMR team can do that and work with staff and make sure that we're getting the answers and the facts back out there and we're just not letting a narrative kind of spin out of control and then you know have a panic moment in the board room," chairman Colten Wright explained.

The county will formalize the change through an updated resolution at their December 11th meeting.