From Sewer Wins to Shady Ties: Wakulla’s EDC Grand Plans and Housing Tie Teaser

I’ve been tracking the Wakulla County Economic Development Council (EDC) since December’s Uncovering the Decision Makers (here), followed by my cost breakdown of Project Safety (SRT Supply) and Project Boomer (Residential Elevators) (here). The April 7, 2025, EDC/BOCC meeting—streamed on Facebook—dropped more: connections, costs, and debt drama. They’re working hard, so I’ll toss them a “nice effort!” for now. But we’re digging deeper—LOL, you know it.

EDC Spotlight: Duke’s Pitch, Shaky Numbers, and Risky Business

Project Safety and Project Boomer took center stage at Opportunity Park—200+ acres cozying up to Leon County near Wakulla CI. Details? Sparse (SRT = tech? safety? Boomer = elevators? Hush hush, but Wakulla Reports told you who they are), but jobs are the lure. Duke Energy rolled in, claiming “geospatial analysis” (aerial maps, I’d guess) tagged it a commercial hub. They pitched it to the county and N.G. Wade, and helped revive the EDC? What's the gain?

Duke’s rep dangled salary stats: Wakulla’s “average” at $46k annually, these jobs at $52k—higher, he crowed—plus benefits, 401k matching, the works. But hold up. If $46k’s from 2021 (like BLS Tallahassee MSA’s $47,510), it’s four years old! Data USA’s 2022 Wakulla top sectors hit $63k-$71k, and BLS’s 2023 Tallahassee MSA was $52,420. Add inflation (12%+ since 2021) and growth, and today’s average’s likely $50k-$55k. So $52k’s barely a bump—if that. Benefits? 401k matching? Yawn—everyone’s got that now. What he skipped? Health insurance costs—those can shred a paycheck. Who’s buying this?

Who’s getting these jobs? Leon County’s right there, with a 300+ house build north of Woodville, while Sopchoppy folks slog through the forest. I’ve doubted the 400-job claim since December (over time, clawbacks if they flop—more on that). Who invited Duke? County or corporate ego? Opportunity Park’s leap from prison shadow to job hub feels off—whose win?

Costs from my earlier review? Now $14 million—if Triumph Gulf Coast grants (here) land. We front it, clawbacks loom if jobs miss, and get this: the county’s leasing real estate, betting tenants like SRT and Boomer stick past 10 years. No lock they will. Taxpayer cash on that wire? Risky as heck!

Debt and Dollars: A Win, a Hike, and a $150k Handout

Bright spot: we paid off the $30 million sewer loan! Debt per citizen dips from $2,150 (2023, over the $500 cap, AR:3.02)—big win! Then the clerk hyped his office—until the “but.” With $100+ million in projects upcoming (like that $14 million), they’re planning to raise the debt limit. No number yet—smart dodge—but it’s coming. Our debt rants didn’t slow spending; they’re just prepping to hike the cap, roping you and your kids in deeper. Win if you’re pro-gamble! (To be fair, the debt limit is old, been around since 2014 but, will be interesting to see what they pitch to raise it to! The clerk said adjusted for inflation NOW, would be $671)

Oh, and the county’s tossing or tossed the EDC $50k a year for three years—$150k total—as revealed in the meeting. More taxpayer juice for this crew, on top of the 50/50 public-private split (The Wakulla Sun). Private funders still murky -a few listed on their website—why’s our cash propping up their bets? Infrastructure—animal shelter, roads—still starves. Low unemployment? Yep. So why this private biz welfare?

Shuff, Land Sales, and the Housing Boom: A Tease

I wondered if the EDC’s tied to Wakulla’s housing explosion—subdivisions popping like mushrooms . Social media chatter’s hot: “Same names keep popping up: EDC, BOCC, developers,” a Crawfordville local tweeted in March 2025. Then there’s John Shuff III, the EDC’s resurrector. His wife, Petra Shuff, ran the Chamber of Commerce, and they’ve been busy with land sales. In 2020, they sold 7 parcels to Golden Construction Company Inc. for $308,000. In 2024, Shuff sold more: 1 parcel to Pafford Investments LLC for $25,000, 12 parcels to Tide Creek Holdings LLC for $1.2 million, and 1 to North Pointe Center LLC for $100 (public records). That’s $1.5 million+ over four years—housing’s a safe bet for some of that.

The EDC’s industrial push—Opportunity Park’s 26 tenants (per wakullaedc.com)—doesn’t scream “housing” on paper. But jobs draw people, people need homes. N.G. Wade’s in the mix—the Wakulla County Property Appraiser’s site (mywakullapa.com) still lists Opportunity Park in their name, so no donation; likely a lease or deal with the county. If Wade or Shuff hold nearby parcels—developers? Local or afar?—they’re primed to cash in. The EDC’s $150k county gift and $14 million for Safety/Boomer pumps public cash into growth zones, juicing housing demand. Coincidence? Oh, and there’s more on Shuff and MANY others—stay tuned for that reveal.

A Kid from DCT and a CSG Mystery

Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m not here to just tear things down. I was that kid in the DCT program (you know, school half a day, work half a day) who landed one of the two “cool jobs” in the county back then: Wakulla Bank or the Gunpowder Plant. So I’m all for our kids having opportunities right here in Wakulla. I just don’t believe this bet’s worth the risk with our other needs screaming for attention. Our rec park’s overwhelmed, folks in Crawfordville proper want paved roads, and a new sewer project’s looming (never mind that it leads to developers, so we’re footing the bill—we’ll cover that with the sales data).

Speaking of Opportunity Park, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: CSG Systems just closed their Crawfordville facility there, costing us 100 jobs. Flood insurance issues after Hurricane Helene were the culprit, per local news (wtxl.com). The county admin said they did “something” and made “phone calls” to fix it—vague much? They hinted that if we weren’t doing this deal, “that” (I guess a remedy for CSG’s exit) wouldn’t have happened. So, are they getting a new tenant? And how did N.G. Wade help? Interesting.

Pockets, Power, and What’s Next

The EDC’s 50/50 split is not unique (most in Florida are) but it is ripe for impropriety. I used to scoff at “pockets being lined”—crazy talk! Now, with Shuff’s land deals and housing chatter, I’m wondering. No bank busts here, but data’s our lens. Our upcoming series on who’s steering this syncs with this EDC saga. Stay sharp, Wakulla!