Marion County Parks & Recreation department looks for more funding
File photo: Jim Couillard, the director of Marion County Parks and Recreation speaks during a County Commission Capital Improvement Project Workshop in the County Commission auditorium at the McPherson Governmental Complex in Ocala, Fla. on Monday, March 21, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.
On the heels of considering assessing impact fees on newcomers for fire/EMS and transportation services, Marion County commissioners are being asked to consider alternative funding mechanisms for capital projects for the Parks & Recreation department as well.
After hearing a detailed staff report, commissioners decided during their Feb. 18 meeting to hold off on a decision and return to the discussion after they’ve determined how to proceed with the question of raising or reinstating impact fees for fire/EMS services and transportation needs.
Needs and wants
In a Dec. 19 workshop, the department provided a list of needs for maintenance and replacement projects totaling $19,403,750. These are typically funded through park fees, which have averaged about 1.4 million annually over the past five years.
Additionally, county staff had a wish list for expansion projects to existing parks as well as to create new parks that totaled $97,624,864. Some of the projects on the list were revenue generating.
| Expansion Projects | ||
| Location/Activity – Listed in recommended order by staff | Subtotals | Cost Estimate |
| Shocker Park Expansion (Adjacent) | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1,900,000 | |
| Mass grading/ DRA for park | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 400,000 | |
| Roadway and parking lot for Shocker Park | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 750,000 | |
| Utility infrastructure | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 250,000 | |
| Irrigation | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 50,000 | |
| Sprigging | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 150,000 | |
| Sports lighting | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 300,000 | |
| Carney Island Recreation & Conservation Area – RV campgrounds and boat storage | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3,175,000 | |
| Independence Park / Sw 44th Ave | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3,305,000 | |
| Site development | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2,100,000 | |
| Mulitpurpose field | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 150,000 | |
| Dog park | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 100,000 | |
| Restroom (2 hole) | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 200,000 | |
| Pavilion (20′ x 20′) | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 55,000 | |
| Playground | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 200,000 | |
| Parking lot | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 500,000 | |
| Blue Run of Dunnellon – Restroom (Current CIP Funding amount $275,000) | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 450,000 | |
| Belleview Sportsplex Phase 1 | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 410,000 | |
| Remove Portable office building | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 50,000 | |
| Relocate Maintenance Shop | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 360,000 | |
| KP Hole – Second Tubers Exit – Assessment | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 225,000 | |
| Shocker Park Expansion (Adjacent) Phase 3 | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 5,980,000 | |
| Pickleball courts (8 courts) | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 450,000 | |
| Tennis courts (4 courts) | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 250,000 | |
| Sand volleyball courts ( 2 courts) | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 30,000 | |
| Basketball courts (2 courts) | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 200,000 | |
| Pickleball courts (4 courts) | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 250,000 | |
| Parking lot | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 300,000 | |
| Construct recreational center (15,000 SF) | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 4,000,000 | |
| Construct maintanence shop | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 500,000 | |
| Horseshoe Lake Park and Retreat – ADA cabin | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 250,000 | |
| Wrigley Fields | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 210,000 | |
| T-Ball fields ( 2 fields) | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 60,000 | |
| New sports lighting (T-Ball field) | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 100,000 | |
| Add power and lighting to practice field and grading | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 50,000 | |
| Belleview Sportsplex Phase 2 | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1,950,000 | |
| Pickleball courts (4 courts) | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 250,000 | |
| Construct new baseball quad | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1,000,000 | |
| Demo existing baseball quad | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 500,000 | |
| Mass grading/ DRA for park | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 200,000 | |
| Carney Island Recreation and Conservation Area – Fishing platform (Lake Weir) | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 250,000 | |
| Eureka West – New Paddlecraft Hand launch | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 125,000 | |
| Forest Community Center at Sandhill Park – Outdoor concert stage w/ power | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 75,000 | |
| Gores Landing | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 103,000 | |
| Construct 4 sleeping pavilions | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 48,000 | |
| Pavilion (20′ x 20′) | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 55,000 | |
| Heagy Burry Phase 2 | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 205,000 | |
| Pave overflow parking | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 150,000 | |
| Pavilion (20′ x 20′) | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 55,000 | |
| Ma Barker Phase 1 | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3,805,000 | |
| Road | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 500,000 | |
| Parking | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 70,000 | |
| Stormwater | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 100,000 | |
| Electric | $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 60,000 | |
Funding alternatives to explore for capital improvements
Although the potential for grants, sponsorships, public-private partnerships were acknowledged in the county’s presentation, commissioners were asked to explore bonds and taxation options used by other communities.
Since parks can also be a function of tourism to Marion County, funding for parks can also come from the bed tax, which is collected through a 4% charge (in addition to the 7.5% sales tax) on rentals of six months or less. This revenue totaled almost $5.5 million last year and has been used for other projects, including gateway signage along Interstate 75. Â
During the Feb. 18 commission meeting, county staff provided the commissioners with a list of 25 other counties in the state that charge impact fees to newcomers for parks and recreation, including neighboring Alachua and Citrus counties.
Based on the comparison of impact fees, Marion County staff estimated the impact fees for parks could be assessed against new construction ranging anywhere from $202 to $4,956.
To assess the impact fees, legislation requires the commission to conduct a study assessing funding mechanisms and needs due to the influx of new development, as they did recently with fire/EMS and transportation.
The impact fee study could cost up to $70,000 and take up to eight months to complete, according to Jim Couillard, the Parks & Recreation director.
A referendum to voters for a bond would be required since it would be paid for by the general fund. Commission Chair Kathy Bryant indicated she leaned in favor of placing decisions like these with voters, so they could choose the level of service they wanted. However, county staff said that vote could not be scheduled earlier than the 2028 general election.
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