Bay County Residents to Decide Government Consolidation Question

Updated: Thu 12:47 PM, Aug 19, 2004

The November ballot in Bay County just got longer this week.

Bay County commissioners have agreed to put a non-binding straw ballot question about consolidation to a public vote. The motion passed 3 to 2 to put the question on this November’s general election ballot.

Voters will be asked if they would like to pursue consolidation of local government.

County Commission John Newberry made the motion a couple weeks ago; saying the current annexation fights between eight local cities was enough reason to consider the move, but the proposal failed at that time.

Newberry brought the issue up again this week, with Commissioner Jerry Girvin and Mike Ropa voting with him in favor of the straw ballot.

Downtown PC Area Motorcycle Fatality