The News Herald is publishing its annual countdown of the top 10 stories of the year.
These were the stories reporters and editors felt were the most important in Bay County in 2013. The series will end on New Year’s Eve, with the top story of the year. Also on that day, The News Herald will list the top 10 stories as ranked by readers in an online poll.
NEWS HERALD TOP 10 STORIES COUNTDOWN
10. Sunday: Florida State University Panama City opens to freshmen, sophomores
9. Monday: Arrival of F-22s, Air Force personnel delayed for a year
8. Tuesday: Big Changes at The Rescue Mission
7. Wednesday: Development boom at Pier Park
6. Today: Region Raked in BP Money
PANAMA CITY — BP money, like rain in the summer, flooded Bay County this year.
Bay County, its municipalities, the airport and a tourism board all took in hefty sums through settlements totaling about $35 million. The negotiated deals were for lost revenue, primarily due to the decline in tourism during the 2010 oil spill. No money received was related to the RESTORE Act.
The county’s $15.3 million cut was not marked for any specific project, but was used to fill a budget gap to avoid raising taxes. Similarly, the municipalities didn’t earmark their money for any major undertaking; it went to fattening their bank balances — stowaway money to be used at a later date.
The impressive sums, however, won’t all be spent on projects or shoring up budgets. The county’s money, for example, was divided with the Tourist Development Council (TDC), which received $5.6 million. More importantly, lawyers took their cut, which amounted to more than 18 percent in the county’s case.
The settlements also prevented expensive court battles and released BP of future lost-revenue obligations due to the oil spill. If oil was to return and tourism to plummet, BP wouldn’t be on the hook to reimburse the area for those lost dollars.
Panama City Beach also got a hefty settlement at $11 million. The money hasn’t been directed toward a specific project, though the TDC is considering spending its settlement money on new sports facilities.
Panama City received $1.9 million, and it has no immediate plans for its use. Mayor Greg Brudnicki said it will likely go toward the downtown marina project.
“That is a major project that we’re working on, but that’s just a thought,” he said.
The Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) got $5.98 million in its settlement and has not announced any specific projects.
Springfield received $214,000, which went into the city’s general fund with plans to spend it on the fire department. Callaway received $575,000, which went to pay down debt.
The area’s $35 million windfall in 2013 is only the beginning, though. The county could haul in up to $120 million from the RESTORE Act. The Gulf States are still waiting for the federal Treasury Department to write the rules for how the money will be disbursed before it starts to flow.
The key factor in how much the county receives is the outcome of the federal lawsuit against BP.
Jim Muller, county RESTORE Act coordinator, is confident the Treasury rules will come out in 2014 and said the earliest they will be finished is March. He said the county must also develop a multi-year implementation plan for how the money will be spent.
Muller wouldn’t say whether it’s likely RESTORE Act projects will get started in 2014; between the rules process and the plans, they may get pushed into 2015.
The dollars can be spent on environmental restoration as well as economic development. There’s been a lot of talk of using the money to pave the county’s dirt roads to cut down on runoff into local waterways. Road paving can be looked as an economic stimulator, too, providing temporary jobs and useful thoroughfares for transporting products.
“That would potentially assist with economic development,” Muller said.