KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. — The immediate future of parks and recreation priority projects in Dare County will be on the ballot in November. Voters will have a chance to decide if they want to raise the sales tax from 6.75% to 7%. The money generated would go toward funding parks and recreation needs in the community, but it's come with some skepticism.
News 3 met local mom Katie Morgan and her daughter at Meekins Park on Wednesday morning. Morgan said they love the parks and recreation facilities, but come November...
"I will be voting against it, even though I truly believe that we need improvements," said Morgan.
Morgan tells News 3 she's skeptical about the expected $6.1 million a year generated from this tax actually going to parks and recreation improvements. In North Carolina, funds generated from sales tax increases can be used in the county's general fund as well.
"It's being sold to the public as a parks and rec tax increase, but there's nothing to regulate that once it gets increased," said Morgan.
Dare County Commissioner Ervin Bateman says he understands that worry but reinforced his commitment that this money will go to parks and recreation if the tax increase is passed.
"I have no problem personally committing to that to make sure that it's done in that manner. Legislators set that up where it could be used in the general fund, we cannot change that, but we can do a commitment that says, 'Hey, we're going to use this for parks and rec only,' " said Bateman.
A study done in 2025 showed it would take nearly $57 million to address the immediate parks and recreation needs the community feels should be a priority. This tax increase would allow the county to borrow that money and fully fund those projects.
"This is investment in the future of Dare County. By doing this, we can utilize the tax dollars in three years that would normally take up to 15 to get the things done," said Bateman.
Though artificial turf fields, indoor facility expansions, expansion of multi-use trails and splash pads have all been identified as some immediate needs from the 2025 community survey — Morgan and fellow neighbors have told News 3 they'd be more comfortable supporting this tax if the county put together a year-by-year list of what's going to be done and when.
"If I saw the specifics, their plan that was very widely publicized so we could all see, then yes, I would feel a lot more comfortable with it," said Morgan.
Bateman shared this when News 3 asked about the county having a plan of this kind.
"There's things we need to prioritize and do first. I'm on the recreation committee also, and we will sit down with the board of commissioners as well as the parks and rec director, look at the survey, see what it said, and prioritize by that," said Bateman.
Voters will be able to decide what ultimately happens at the ballot box in November. Earlier in August, Dare Co. Commissioners approved a nearly $20,000 outreach and educational campaign to help voters understand what they are voting for. 70% of the tax is expected to be paid by tourists.
For more information on the plan, you can head to Dare County's page outlining it here.
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