Northeast Okaloosa County designated rural area of opportunity to boost economic growth

In Brief:

🚧 New RAO designation covers northeast Okaloosa County, including Laurel Hill and surrounding unincorporated areas.
💼 Provides incentives like tax credits, grant waivers, and faster permitting to attract new businesses.
🤝 Part of a regional effort including several Northwest Florida counties to drive economic development.

SHALIMAR — Northeast Okaloosa County has officially joined its neighboring counties as a Rural Area of Opportunity (RAO), following an Executive Order signed July 8 by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. This designation aims to attract new industries and create jobs that will further stimulate the local economy.

The RAO status covers areas east of State Road 85 and north of Interstate 10, including unincorporated communities such as Laurel Hill, Auburn, Deerland, and Svea.

“Having this designation will position Okaloosa County for success in further job creation that has already begun with recent endeavors from companies invested in northeast Okaloosa County at Shoal River Industrial Park,” said Okaloosa County Board Chairman Paul Mixon in a news release. “We have invested in new and improved infrastructure in this region, and now we can leverage this designation to attract companies that will offer higher-wage jobs for our residents.”

Northeast Okaloosa joins other Northwest Florida counties already benefiting from RAO status, including Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, Wakulla, Washington, and parts of Walton County.

Past successes from the program include new businesses such as the Busy Bee fuel station in Holmes County and Pointe Blank Enterprises, an armor manufacturer in Wakulla County.

Nathan Sparks, Executive Director of One Okaloosa Economic Development Council, praised the move.

“We now have an additional tool to help attract positive economic development and jobs to Okaloosa County,” Sparks said in a news release. “We appreciate Gov. DeSantis for including us in this designation and look forward to building upon this success.”

Key benefits of the RAO designation include:

Waivers for local match or wage requirements on state grants and incentives
Access to additional economic development programs, like rural job tax credits
Expedited permitting reviews by state agencies
Ability to seek waivers from state rules that may impact development projects
Representation by the “Opportunity Florida” regional organization, which offers leadership scholarships and support for local elected officials

The designation is effective immediately and will remain in place for five years, with annual reviews to assess progress.