Santa Rosa commissioners consider local funding after state veto of Soundside conservation parcel

Santa Rosa County commissioners on Monday discussed a plan to use local funds to acquire a Soundside conservation parcel after the state vetoed an $850,000 legislative appropriation for the purchase.

The discussion centered on a proposal to combine $300,000 in Tourist Development Council (TDC) funds and $550,000 from a county conservation reserve to make up the county portion of a roughly $1 million purchase price. County staff said private donors have already pledged $150,000 toward the sale and that the owner is a willing seller. Commissioners moved the item to the board’s regular Thursday agenda for further consideration.

The purchase, backers said, would protect wetlands that feed Santa Rosa Sound, provide public access for passive recreation and add to the Florida Wildlife Corridor. A county official described the request as an $850,000 appropriation that would leverage $150,000 in private funding and a purchase price of about $1 million. The official said the parcel appraised for more than the sale price.

Dara Hartigan, who spoke during the meeting, said the parcel was identified after nearby effluent fields owned by the city of Gulf Breeze were sold and slated for development. She told commissioners the land contains “a large area of salt marshes” and that protecting it would conserve remaining forested buffers on the peninsula.

Commissioners who spoke on the topic urged caution about tapping all conservation funds for a single purchase but acknowledged the parcel’s conservation and tourism value. One commissioner summarized the board’s next step as moving the matter to Thursday’s regular meeting for a more detailed vote and potential allocation of funds.

County staff noted the conservation fund balance: $750,000 allocated in the current fiscal year and an additional $500,000 budgeted for FY26, leaving the board with options for shared funding if it chooses to proceed.

The item will return to the full board on Thursday, when commissioners will decide whether to authorize use of TDC and conservation funds and any related conditions on the purchase.