Franklin County Commission will not support for St. George Island incorporation plan

Franklin County Commissioners say they do not support a plan to incorporate St. George Island.

County Commissioners had been asked to support a proposal to allow St. George Island residents to control planning and zoning issues on the island while the county would continue to provide all other services.

Under the plan Franklin County would continue to collect tax revenue from the island –and provide all of the services except planning and zoning.

The island itself would levy a .3 mill tax rate which would raise about 200 thousand dollars a year to fund the island’s limited government.

Newt Colston, speaking for the St. George Island Growth Management Committee, said the primary drive of the proposal would be to allow island residents to deal with certain issues that the county won’t like nuisance lighting, mandatory trash pickup and waterfront development.

The county’s blessing would be helpful when the issue is brought to the state legislature, but not necessary.

The request to consider incorporation was first brought to the county commission in January; the group needed an answer this month for the issue to go to the legislature this session and go before island voters in November of 2016.

A motion by District 1 commissioner Pinki Jackel to take the issue to the legislature died when none of the other commissioners would second the motion.

Commissioner Noah Lockley said he opposed the plan because the island was only asking for planning and zoning but wasn’t asking to incorporate fully.

He told Mister Colston “If you want it – do it all.”

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