Yesterday’s decision by the Santa Rosa County Commission may feel like a win for those wary of growth—but it’s a loss for our future generations. By adding even more restrictive regulations, beyond what the Land Development Task Force recommended, the County Commission has made it significantly harder for middle-income families to find a place to live here.
These changes don’t meaningfully improve safety or quality, but they do increase costs, reduce housing options, and make it tougher for local tradespeople and small builders to earn a living, and, ultimately, those costs will get passed along to new home buyers: young families in particular will be hurt.
We all love the character of Santa Rosa County—but preserving it shouldn’t mean shutting the door on these young families or teachers, first responders, and future residents who want to call this place home.
If we continue down this path, we risk becoming a community where only the wealthy can afford to live, and, sadly, our children and their children will have no choice but to move away.
Our parents and grandparents built this community with grit and vision. Let’s honor their legacy by ensuring it remains a place of opportunity—not a place that turns its back on the next generation. Imagine your grandchild wanting to raise a family in Santa Rosa County—but finding they can’t afford to live here because this board imposed costly and unnecessary government regulations.
Another concern is how some of our elected officials—who once promised to protect economic freedom—are now embracing policies that mirror the overregulation and high costs seen in places like California. Whether intentional or not, this anti-growth mindset threatens our long-term vitality.
It’s time for all of us to ask: What kind of future are we building? If we want Santa Rosa County to remain a place of opportunity, we must support policies that balance thoughtful growth with affordability, freedom, and a welcoming spirit. Let’s not allow the fear of change to steal future generations of their chance to live and thrive here.
Growth isn’t about losing what we love—it’s about building a future where our children can dream big, stay close, and succeed right here at home. We’re not building to change Santa Rosa County—we’re building to preserve it. We want our kids, our teachers, and our first responders to have a place here, just like we did.
People moved to Santa Rosa County because we live in a paradise which has high-performing schools, low taxes and low crime. But those who are responsible for these benefits are being pushed out of living here…
Contact your county commissioners today and ask them not to support these additional regulations to the LDC. Call 850-983-1877 or email them:
- Bobby Burkett district1@santarosa.fl.gov
- Kerry Smith district2@santarosa.fl.gov
- Rhett Rowell district3@santarosa.fl.gov
- Ray Eddington district4@santarosa.fl.gov
- Colten Wright district5@santarosa.fl.gov
