Studer Community Institute

Santa Rosa County Commissioner Jim Williamson dies shortly after resigning

April 8, 2014
/ Shannon Nickinson
/ community-dashboard

Santa Rosa County Commissioner Jim Williamson, first elected to public office in the 1970s, passed away Wednesday night, just two days after announcing his retirement. Williamson, 67, had informed Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday that he would not be able to fulfill his current term, which began in 2012. Scott is responsible for appointing a replacement until a new election can be held. The Santa Rosa County Commission has requested that Scott issue a memorandum to fly flags at half-staff in honor of Williamson’s life-long service to Santa Rosa residents. Williamson, owner of Williamson Electrical Co. in Milton since 1976, was suffering from complications related to a liver transplant he underwent 21 years ago, according to Santa Rosa County Public Information Officer Joy Tsubooka. Although he had recently been in the Pittsburg hospital where the transplant was performed, Williamson was at his home in Pace when he died. “Commissioner Jim Williamson's retirement from the Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners is a great loss as he brought business experience, integrity and common sense to our board,” said Commissioner Don Salter, who has served on the commission since 2000, said late Wednesday, before Williamson's passing. “We all, however, understand and support his decision to retire due to his continuing health condition,” Salter said. “We continue to wish he and his family well and ask everyone to keep them in (their) prayers.” Williamson, a Santa Rosa County native, graduated from Milton High School in 1964. We went on to play four years of professional baseball in the St. Louis Cardinal organization. Williamson was a member of the Milton City Council from 1977 to 1985. He was elected to the County Commission as a Republican in 1996 and won reelection without opposition in 2000. However, he resigned in October 2001 for ongoing health concerns. But Williamson recovered and won reelection to the commission in 2008 and 2012. Williamson was “highly regarded and respected for his honesty, fiscal prudence and vision for the future of Santa Rosa County,” according to a news release from Tsubooka. Among his many accomplishments, she listed keeping the tax burden low, streamlining the building permit process and the construction of the Santa Rosa Sports/Horse Complex and Soccer Fields, the Pace Community Center and the Five Points intersection realignment, among several other projects. Williamson’s illness had kept him from commission meetings since January. Scott’s appointee will serve until a special election can be held to choose someone who will fulfill the remaining two years of Williamson’s current term. On Wednesday, Santa Rosa County Supervisor of Elections Tappie Villane announced that the election process to replace Williamson will coincide with the already scheduled county elections scheduled for this fall. That means Williamson's District 1 commission seat will join the Districts 2 and 4 seats on the 2014 ballot. In 2012, Williamson defeated former Commissioner Tom Stewart and Pace businessman Mark Cotton in the Republican Primary. He faced no opposition in the general election.

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Santa Rosa County Commissioner Jim Williamson dies shortly after resigning

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