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Dare County parks leaders roll out plan for 0.25% sales-tax referendum to fund $56.9M in improvements
Summary
County parks staff presented a public‑education kickoff for a proposed 0.25% local sales‑use tax on the November ballot that would fund roughly $56.9 million in parks upgrades; presenters emphasized visitors would bear much of the cost and estimated the average resident impact at about $14 per year.
Parks and Recreation staff briefed the county on a planned 0.25% local sales and use tax referendum that would appear on the November 2026 ballot to fund prioritized parks and recreation projects across the county. "On an average item I might purchase, like a $10 T shirt, that's gonna be 2.5 pennies additional," said a parks presenter, explaining the incremental cost and how the county intends to communicate the impact to residents.
Staff said the measure — if approved by voters — would be dedicated to parks and recreation projects identified in a countywide needs assessment and implementation plan and that the plan envisions roughly $56,900,000 in facility upgrades, turf fields, trails, splash pads and accessibility improvements. Presenters told commissioners the sales tax would not apply to autos, groceries, gasoline or prescriptions and that an estimated portion of the burden would fall on visitors; staff used a working figure of about $14 per individual per year or about $22 per family per year based on median household spending assumptions.
Commissioners discussed outreach, legal limits on county advocacy (the county can only provide factual information and not promote yes/no), and a communications plan that includes mailed FAQs, short videos, and presentations to homeowners associations and sports groups. Commissioners urged graphics that clearly highlight exemptions (groceries, gas, prescriptions) and recommended targeted direct mail and neighborhood outreach to increase voter understanding before the November ballot.
