Government

The Freeport City Council will hold a special meeting Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at 5:00 PM at Freeport City Hall — one of five council sessions on the city’s September calendar.

Walton County is asking residents to help rewrite the rules that shape how land is developed, where businesses can locate, and how natural resources are protected — and a new community survey opened this week gives Freeport residents a direct voice in the process.

The Walton County Design Review Board will hold its next regular meeting on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at 4:00 PM at the South Walton Annex Boardroom, 31 Coastal Centre Boulevard, Santa Rosa Beach — just off U.S. Highway 331 in South Walton.

The Freeport City Council approved a series of infrastructure and land use decisions at its August 27 regular meeting, including a $3,250 survey for Jackson Street intersection improvements, a rezoning request on US 331 South, and a $75,000 state grant for comprehensive plan updates — while also confronting the growing problem of political signs littering public rights-of-way.

The Walton County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously at its August 25 meeting to designate the US 331 and SR 20 intersection in Freeport as the county’s top state and federal infrastructure priority, directing the county’s lobbying team to pursue funding for safety and congestion improvements at the increasingly busy crossroads.

The Walton County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on August 26 to remove all Flock license plate reader cameras from county rights-of-way, effectively ending the use of the automated surveillance technology on county-controlled roads across Walton County — including the Highway 20 and US 331 corridors that Freeport residents travel daily.

The Walton County Zoning Board of Adjustments meets Thursday, August 27 at 5:00 PM at the Freeport Board Room to review nine variance requests and one appeal spanning Districts 2, 4, and 5.

FREEPORT — City council members grappled with rising costs and revenue projections during a budget workshop held Tuesday, August 18, 2026, ultimately approving a 3% flat salary increase for employees and allocating additional funds for highway resurfacing and turn lane projects.

On August 22, 2026, Walton County Engineer Chance Powell shared an update on the construction project along US 98 and CR 395 via the Walton County Board of County Commissioners’ Facebook page, noting ongoing work through 2026.

The Freeport City Council has upcoming meetings. Details are outlined below.