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The '''Southwest Escambia Improvement District''' was a [[Wikipedia:tax increment financing|tax increment financing]] (TIF) district established on [[May 4]], [[2006]] by the [[Escambia County Board of County Commissioners]]. The Board concurrently established the '''Southwest Escambia Improvement Trust Fund''' and authorized the issuance of up to $135 million for improvements in the district, including a four-lane widening project for [[Perdido Key Drive]]. Its purpose was to repay a bond of up to $135 million for improvements in the district, including a project to widen [[Perdido Key Drive]] to four lanes.
The State Attorney quickly approved a [[May 16]], [[2006]] request to validate the bonds, but was halted by a complaint by Dr. [[Greg Strand]], a local veterinarian. Strand argued that the TIF scheme was an indirect pledge of ad valorem taxation without approval by referendum, as dictated by article VII, section 12 of the Florida Constitution: