Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tdc Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
New state law lets Gulf County use TDC pennies for parks; board earmarks $1M and match funds for park and water projects
Summary
County staff said a recent state law change allows small counties to use part of the first three pennies of TDC revenue for infrastructure and proposed setting aside $1 million plus match to address park repairs and water projects.
A last‑minute state law change that became available this year allows Gulf County to use a portion of the first three pennies of Tourist Development Council (TDC) revenue for infrastructure projects, county staff said, and administrators proposed using that flexibility for parks and water‑system work.
County Administrator Michael told commissioners that the change “snuck in there at the very last second” but would allow small counties to pull TDC funds toward infrastructure. Administration has set aside $1 million of TDC money specifically for parks needs and also included local match funding in the proposed budget. Michael said the allocation could fund work at White City Park, Gaskin Park, Oak Street Park and Cape Palms Park, which staff have been maintaining piecemeal.
Water system and long‑term plans
Michael also described the county’s long‑term water system goals: bring a new inland water plant online in the late fall, finish the line to Jones‑Olmstead and build a booster station so that coastal wells can be used only as emergency boosters rather than primary sources. He said the county expects to have “enough” to finish some portions but still needs additional funding to complete the full loop and noted a prior hazard‑mitigation funding promise that was not delivered.
Why it matters
Using TDC infrastructure flexibility directs tourism revenue to public‑facing assets that experience strain from visitors (parks, restrooms, parking). The water projects address system reliability and pressure and are intended to reduce reliance on coast wells and improve long‑term capacity.
Outcome and next steps
No formal vote to appropriate the $1 million occurred as a standalone motion at the hearing; commissioners were presented the budget line items and asked how they wanted to split any matching funds and priorities. Michael said he expects the board to finalize allocations and may request a workshop in September to work through specific park projects and matches.
Ending
Commissioners praised the legislative win and agreed to work with staff on project prioritization and match details ahead of the final budget adoption.
