KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. — Outer Banks neighbors could soon see a proposed sales tax increase outreach campaign efforts from Dare County in their mailboxes, on their televisions, online and even in person. Commissioners approved nearly $20,000 in advertisement funding to help the community understand exactly what you're voting for in November.
On the ballot in November, voters will have a chance to raise the sales tax from 6.75% to 7%, with the generated money going toward parks and recreation improvements in the future.
"They can vote yes or they can vote no, but at least they'll have all the information that we know available to them," said Dare County Manager Bobby Outten.
A study done in 2025 showed that $56.9 million is what it would take to fund all the parks and recreation projects our community feels are needed. Money the county said it just doesn't have in its capital improvement plan budget right now.
Some of those priorities include installing artificial turf fields, indoor expansions and updates at facilities (Fessenden Center, Westcott Park and Northern Beach Division Facility), updates and expansion of trails, new splash pads and playground accessibility improvements.
The tax is expected to bring in $6.1 million each year. But maybe more importantly, Outten says it could allow the county to borrow the entire nearly $57 million to make the list of needs possible.
"That quarter of one penny would generate revenue sufficient to pay the debt service on $57 million of borrowing. So we'd go out, borrow the money, build everything that's in there, and then that tax revenue that came in every year, every month would pay the debt service on that," said Outten.
One neighbor News 3 spoke with feels they'd be more comfortable supporting the tax if the county outlined the specific projects and their start and end dates in the coming years. Outten said they just can't do that until our community decides on this in November.
"The problem is we can't do that, at least not yet. Until we have the contractor and the architects and all the players on board to design and do that," said Outten.
Dare County also expects that more than 70% of this tax will be paid by tourists and would only cost the everyday person on the Outer Banks $14 a year. Also noting that there are exceptions to this tax for residents on groceries, cars, gasoline, medical supplies and prescription drugs.
Outreach efforts will continue in the mail, on air and online by Dare County in the coming months. In November, we'll have the chance to decide what we'd like to see in the future.
For more information about this campaign, you can head to the county website here.
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