07-02-2025
Florida lawmakers visit Gulf County before legislative session
GULF COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Thursday's legislative delegation meeting was standing room only at the Robert Moore Administration Building in Port St. Joe.
Senator Corey Simon and Representative Jason Shoaf heard from dozens of residents about projects important to them. One of the main priorities is a dry dock facility at the port.
They say the facility would expand job opportunities working in conjunction with Eastern Shipbuilding, and bring in the marine science trade.
'When you start talking about the floating dry dock here and the number of jobs that are that are being created here, we've got to we've got to protect those jobs. And hopefully, we can go back to the table and try and get the resources necessary to move that project forward,' Florida State Senator Corey Simon said.
Walton County woman loses $129,500 in Bitcoin scam
Residents want improved city infrastructure and more firefighting resources. One of the most urgent projects drew applause from the audience, the Cape San Blas Breakwater Project funding. They asked for $10 million that's needed to start the project.
Gulf District Schools has 18 teacher vacancies but can't find certified teachers. Two teachers say they have to increase class sizes to accommodate the shortage.
'Teacher shortages continue to strain our schools. Our educators raise the glass in the face with the average pay. Our pay is very low,' a Gulf District School teacher said.
Senator Simon says lawmakers will address teacher pay.
'What the state has done every year since I've been in the legislature, we've increased teacher pay every single year. And we'll continue to look at increasing that pay and handling the compression issues that was created,' Simon said.
Proposed transportation impact fee could impact new developments in Panama City
Both Simon and Shoaf say they will advocate for these issues, but they have to prioritize funding. The deadline to submit appropriations is February 14th.
The Franklin County meeting took place at 4:00 this afternoon at the Franklin County Courthouse Annex.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
