MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — WPTV is diving deeper into the controversial plan to revamp state parks that has dominated the discussion and your social media feeds this week.
The state of Florida is calling it the "Great Outdoors Initiative," which includes putting three golf courses over 1,000 acres of land at Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Martin County.
We have listened to many of you, who feel the plan is not so "great" at all.
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Now, we've found your taxpayer dollars could go to funding it.
According to a breakdown from Golf.com, public golf courses are expensive to maintain, costing on average of just over $620,000 per year to keep running.
A review of government financial statements (read the pdf below) shows many public courses don't generate enough money to cover those costs.
A recent study from the Reason Foundation found municipalities in Florida lost more than $1.3 million in taxpayer dollars operating public golf courses.
The cities of Sebastian and Fort Pierce both had significant net losses, with Sebastian losing more than $22,000 and Fort Pierce losing nearly $400,000.
"Are taxpayers going to end up paying for this as well?" WPTV reporter Kate Hussey asked U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla.
"I wasn't given an answer on that," Mast replied. "What I was given answers on was there would be concessions that would come in, a large part of it would be associated with a nonprofit."
Mast, in conjunction with U.S. Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, sent Gov. Ron DeSantis, the FDEP and the Acquisition Restoration Council, who are the members voting on the proposed changes, a letter that called the Great Outdoors Initiative "rushed."
Read the full letter below:
We reached out to FDEP and the governor's office to ask if taxpayers could subsidize the maintenance costs of the golf courses, but as of Friday evening, we did not receive a response.
"Is [taxpayer impact] a concern for your office?" Hussey asked state Sen. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart.
"Yes, that is also a concern for our office," replied Harrell. "In speaking with the secretary, he said these are going to be public, private partnerships and I'm all about public, private partnerships in the appropriate setting, and doing something of this nature to change significantly what this park is about is not the way to do public private partnerships."
Residents of the area also had concerns about the cost they might have to front for the project.
Nell Brewer, who stood in front of the park for hours with a sign opposing the proposed changes, said she was concerned courses would cost us the gopher tortoises and Florida scrubjays that call the park home.
She was even more unhappy to hear she could be paying for changes she doesn't agree with.
"It's disheartening," Brewer said. "I should have a say in what goes forward here and where my money goes."
Parkgoer Ted Verbockel agreed.
"The people right in this area are paying extremely high taxes," Verbockel said. "They don't want their tax dollars going to this, you know?"
Martin County already operates one public golf course — Sailfish Sands. WPTV has requested the net revenue of the golf course and is waiting to hear back.
As of Friday, a petition against the state's proposal has grown to nearly 80,000 signatures.
Read more of WPTV's coverage on the proposal below:
Region Martin County
Meeting for Jonathan Dickinson State Park plan rescheduled, new venue sought
Region Martin County
Giving mountain bikers a voice on state park golf course proposal
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This coffee bar is uniquely tied to Jonathan Dickinson State Park
Region Martin County
'SLAP IN THE FACE': Mast, Harrell, Overdorf call out proposed golf courses
Region Martin County
How many people are allowed to attend DEP's Jonathan Dickinson Park meeting?
Region Martin County
'WOULD BE AMAZING': What golfers told WPTV about state park proposal
Region Martin County
WE HEARD FROM YOU: Nature lovers push back on golf courses at park
Region Martin County
