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Trust for Public Land offers Santa Rosa County a no‑cost feasibility study to explore voter funding for conservation
Summary
The national nonprofit Trust for Public Land briefed the Santa Rosa County commission on its conservation finance program and offered to prepare a feasibility study—at no county cost, funded by the Bellini Better World Foundation—to evaluate ballot options and local revenue scenarios for park and land conservation funding.
Representatives from the Trust for Public Land told the Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners that the nonprofit can prepare a no‑cost feasibility study for the county to examine local funding options for land conservation and parks.
The feasibility study would map funding options, estimate revenue and taxpayer impact, identify conservation priorities and describe steps to get a ballot measure to voters. Trust for Public Land (TPL) said private philanthropic support would cover the study cost and that a later public‑opinion survey and campaign would be separate steps if the county chose to pursue a ballot measure.
Why it matters: Local funding can unlock state matching programs such as Florida Forever and the Florida Communities Trust; commissioners said previous ballot language in the county did not sufficiently explain intended uses to voters and that better feasibility work could increase passage chances.
Presentation and proposal: Will Avedger, vice president and director of conservation finance for the Trust for Public Land, and Melissa Hill, project manager, reviewed TPL’s national track record and local conservation projects. TPL described typical funding mechanisms—general obligation bonds, a dedicated property‑tax millage, and infrastructure sales taxes—and summarized an approach that starts with feasibility research, then public‑opinion polling, then campaign design if warranted.
TPL asked the commission for consent to proceed with a county feasibility study at no cost to Santa Rosa County, funded through the Bellini Better World Foundation. The proposed study would calculate potential revenue, show likely taxpayer impacts under different options, inventory county conservation priorities, and recommend whether a ballot measure would be viable and how it should be written.
Commissioner questions: Commissioners asked for local examples and cost impacts. TPL cited a Lake County, Fla., example in which a $50 million bond equated to approximately $29 per homeowner per year in that county’s case; the presenters stressed outcomes vary widely by jurisdiction and depend on tax base and measure design. Commissioners asked that any ballot language be clear about uses, accountability and oversight; TPL said they routinely include citizen oversight provisions and independent audits in successful measures.
Board response: The board received the presentation and asked follow‑up questions but did not take a vote to authorize the study on the record that day. Chairman Smith said the presentation and the offer were useful; TPL said it was prepared to begin feasibility research if the county later agreed to accept the study offer and coordinate staff input.
Ending: The county will consider the Trust for Public Land’s offer at a future date. If the board approves the feasibility study, staff and TPL would work together on scope, timeline and public outreach before any survey or ballot decisions.
