Residents ask how property-tax referendum and tourist-tax rules will affect parks funding

Residents at a Walton County parks workshop pressed the county for clarity on how funding choices would shape recreation projects, particularly in light of a pending property-tax referendum and limits on Tourist Development Tax (TDT) spending.

A resident (S20) flagged a forthcoming property-tax referendum and urged citizens to attend the county’s July budget hearings where spending priorities will be set. County staff said the county’s recreation operating budget covers employees and programs — staff cited roughly $700,000 a year for recreation operations and about $200,000 a year in program fees — and said rec plat fees are restricted to parks and recreation uses and are allocated across facilities.

On TDT, the moderator clarified statutory limits: if the county uses Tourist Development Tax dollars to build or purchase facilities, those projects must have a tourism purpose (for example, hosting out-of-area tournaments that generate “heads in beds”). The moderator said the county could use TDT for a sports-tourism project but must show those tourism benefits in accordance with statute.

Attendees asked how much rec plat or district-specific fees are retained locally versus spread countywide; staff answered that fees are distributed across parks and cannot be repurposed for non‑recreation infrastructure. Several residents asked whether a reduction in homestead-based revenue would push cuts to parks; commissioners and staff said it was uncertain until referendum results and that any cuts would be decided during the formal budget process.

No funding decisions were made at the workshop; staff encouraged residents to attend budget hearings and to submit input through the county survey.