‘Difficult conversations’ ahead: Local officials react to Amendment 3’s passing
Amendment 3 passed with 62% voter approval, but its financial consequences are just beginning to take shape. Crestview and Niceville could lose millions in property tax revenue, leaving local officials weighing potential service cuts, new fees and regional partnerships while looking to the Florida Legislature for help.
HISTORY: The Emerald Coast’s upstart third-party Florida governor and his controversial legacy
In 1916, Sidney J. Catts achieved a historic political upset, becoming Florida’s only third-party governor. Running under the Prohibition Party banner after a disputed Democratic primary, the populist preacher campaigned across rural Florida in a Model T, leaving behind a fascinating and turbulent administration.
Can Florida’s controversial property tax amendment pass? The latest scientific poll may surprise you:
A Florida pollster just dropped a survey of 916 voters. You wont believe what it said about local opinions on Democrats and Amendment 3.
Lower property taxes or protect local services? Two tax questions face Florida voters
Florida voters face two tax-related decisions in the Nov. 3 midterm election: a proposed constitutional amendment that would increase homestead property tax exemptions and an Okaloosa County referendum to extend a half-cent sales tax. Local officials and a planning expert disagree over the costs, benefits and potential effects on community services.
Photo gallery | Byron Donalds brings Defending the Florida Dream Tour to Niceville
Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds brought his “Defending the Florida Dream” bus tour to Niceville on Monday, Oct. 26, making a campaign stop in Okaloosa County during the final week before Florida’s Nov. 3 election.
Risks for Republicans, AI info, and personal power: Voting expert talks midterms 2026
From Florida’s governor’s race to local tax referendums, the Nov. 3 midterm election will shape decisions affecting communities across the Emerald Coast. Lonna Rae Atkeson, director of Florida State University’s LeRoy Collins Institute, discusses voter turnout, what drives election participation and how artificial intelligence could change the way voters research candidates.
Donalds talks property taxes, data centers, and law enforcement at Fort Walton Beach stop
At an Okaloosa County campaign rally, Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds presented his vision for affordability, property taxes, and public safety while navigating his relationship with national politics.
OPINION: Tallman calls out Mid Bay News, urges community to move beyond election division
The recent school board elections were intense, but it is time for our community to unite. Instead of lingering on political division and personal attacks, we must focus on what truly matters: safe schools, excellent education, and accountability. Let’s invest our energy in our students’ success and build a stronger, more collaborative future together.
Birth tourism, health insurance and VA centers: We fact check FL-1 House candidates
With Florida’s Aug. 18 primary approaching, Mid Bay News fact checked claims made by candidates at a recent FL-1 forum, including statements about birth tourism, health insurance premiums, VA staffing, veterans’ care, campaign spending and the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Judge rules property tax proposal misleading; must be rewritten
A Leon County judge ruled Florida’s Amendment 3 ballot language is misleading and ordered state officials to rewrite it within ten days. The decision targets the amendment’s title and summary, finding they improperly advocate for the proposal rather than neutrally explaining its effects before November’s election.
