Commissioners press for plan to reduce tax support for Spurill (Pearl) Bluff park
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Summary
Recreation staff told commissioners Spruill/Pearl Bluff sees roughly 30,000 visitors annually but requires ongoing county support; staff presented options including higher fees, boat-ramp charges, RV expansion, repair work (an electrical quote of about $22,000), and private-operator proposals for a long-term lease.
Recreation staff walked commissioners through a detailed budget and operations report for Spruill (Pearl) Bluff park during the Oct. 28 budget hearing and urged a close look at ways to reduce the park's reliance on property-tax support.
The staff presentation said the park attracts heavier use than expected: "we've got close to 30,000 people that use the park that come in and out," the recreation presenter said. Commissioners and staff discussed the reasons revenue lags: cabin maintenance and repairs, unfunded electrical and restroom work, porta-potty rental costs during peak season and inconsistent gate monitoring that permits some users to avoid paying.
Recreation staff identified a recent contractor quote of roughly $22,000 to restore electrical service to a vault restroom and to make the restroom operable year-round; staff said that cost would reduce annual porta-potty rental expenses of about $7,000'$8,000. The presenter also described a plan to close the gap through a combination of modest fee increases, more aggressive enforcement of the park-pass system, additional RV sites (which require substantial capital) and possible private-sector partnership.
"If we wanted to make more money ... we could include more RV sites," the recreation director said, adding that adding RV sites would require a larger capital investment such as a new bathhouse. He also described preliminary contact from a private company that would operate the park under a long-term lease and invest in camp improvements, which staff said could relieve the county of about $200,000 in annual support if the arrangement were feasible and consistent with the DNR lease.
Commissioners asked staff to examine the county's agreements with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and to return with a concrete menu of options and expected revenue impacts. No policy decision was made at the hearing.
This topic has potential near-term fiscal impact for county taxpayers and will return for further discussion before budget adoption.
