Dunedin's Hammock Park boardwalk could be blocked off from the public if voters approve a property tax referendum in November, Parks and Recreation Director Tony Mulkey warned city commissioners July 9.

Commissioners voted unanimously that evening to award a $152,231 contract to Price Marine Construction of Tarpon Springs to replace the aging boardwalk along Cedar Creek. But Mulkey told them the project may never get built.

Commissioner presses for answers on funding

Commissioner Jeff Gow pressed the question: "If the property tax issue passes in November, what would this item look like a year from now? Where would we get the money?"

Mulkey's answer was blunt.

The project "would probably not be scheduled, just looking at the initial numbers," he said. The boardwalk in its current state is unsafe, and without funding to replace it, the city would have to close it.

"It would be loss of an amenity, because the boardwalk, currently as it stands out there, is not safe and it would have to be blocked off from the public," Mulkey said.

What's at stake at Hammock Park

The 90-acre park features 5 miles of shaded nature trails. The elevated boardwalk carries the 0.7-mile Osprey Loop through a dense coastal hammock along Cedar Creek, bringing visitors close to native birds and wildlife. A second boardwalk on the Fern Trail crosses a bayhead swamp.

City staff found the Cedar Creek boardwalk on the park's western side "has exceeded its useful life and requires urgent attention." The replacement plan calls for swapping pressure-treated wood decking with WearDeck composite material, which staff called "a fiscally responsible investment" that would last longer and reduce maintenance costs.

The referendum looming over Dunedin

The Florida Legislature approved placing the "Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes" constitutional amendment on the Nov. 3 ballot during its session June 2. The measure would exempt the first $150,000 of a primary residence's value from nonschool property taxes starting in 2027, expanding to $250,000 in 2028.

For Dunedin, the stakes are steep. City Manager Jennifer Bramley told commissioners at a May 19 special meeting that the amendment would mean "about a $9 million reduction in ad valorem taxes for the City of Dunedin." At an April 22 public forum, Bramley warned residents: "Your quality of life in Dunedin will be definitively impacted."

A statewide Sachs Media poll of 850 Florida voters found 64% support the amendment.

Other city projects also on hold

The boardwalk isn't the only Dunedin project in limbo. Commissioners also unanimously approved a living shoreline at Weaver Park in July, but Bramley said that project cannot move forward until the city knows the referendum outcome.

Commissioner Steve Sandbergen said at a July 7 work session: "We don't know what's coming in November, so we have to be cautious with the taxpayers' money."

Gow urged residents to consider what's on the line. "If anybody is considering the vote in November, keep that in mind — that we're going to lose some things," he said.

What's next

The boardwalk contract has been approved, but construction depends on whether the city retains the revenue to fund it. Dunedin voters will decide the property tax amendment Nov. 3, alongside elections for Commission Seat Two and Commission Seat Four.