TDC pushes back on County Commission’s Chappie James funding

Posted on March 14, 2025

The Tourist Development Council (TDC) met Thursday to address the Board of County Commissioners’ controversial decision to fund the General “Chappie” James Memorial Plaza using $750,000 in tourist development tax dollars.

Statue vs. Museum: The debate centers on whether a statue qualifies as a “museum” under Florida statute, which would make it eligible for tourism tax funding. TDC Chairman David Bear told the council that the county had rebranded the memorial as a “museum” to justify the expenditure after previously calling it a “memorial plaza” throughout the project’s development.

“If we were to consider that statue a museum, then why would we not consider every other statue in our community or across the country a museum?” Bear questioned. “There’s a difference between a statue and a museum.”

Economic Impact Questions

An economic impact study by the Haas Center concluded that the project would only create short-term economic benefits during construction, with no evidence that the construction would promote tourism.

  • County Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger expressed concern about the county’s justification, acknowledging the study didn’t support tourism development. “I feel like if we can’t prove that it goes to tourism, it’s a moot point,” she said.
  • City Councilman Charles Bare supported the TDC’s position. “I completely support the Chappy James Plaza, but this is not the correct source of funding,” he said, noting that the actual Chappy James Museum generated only 175 overnight visitors last year.

TDC Takes Action

City Councilwoman Jennifer Brahier added that state definitions of museums require “multiple artifacts curated and programming,” which the plaza doesn’t include. The council debated whether to send a TDC Letter to both the County Commission and the Florida Department of Revenue reporting the expenditure as unauthorized under state law.

After discussion, they approved a modified approach – sending the letter only to the County Commission with detailed information about museum definitions and tourism requirements, giving commissioners a chance to reconsider before involving state authorities.

  • “Let’s deal with it locally if we can. If we can’t, then report them,” said TDC member Jim Reeves.

Bottom Line: The County Commission must now reconsider its funding decision based on the TDC’s formal objections.

3 thoughts on “TDC pushes back on County Commission’s Chappie James funding”

Comments are closed.