The Franklin County Tourist Development Council (TDC) has approved a request from the Franklin County Commission to fund nearly $600,000 worth of roadway improvements within the St. George Island commercial district from 3rd Street East to 3rd Street West. The funding was approved at the TDC board’s January 28 meeting and will be combined with more than $930,000 in county RESTORE ACT funding for roadway-adjacent stormwater drainage improvements. The result will mean better roads for the SGI commercial district just in time for the 2026 Spring influx of visitors. 

The St. George Island roadway improvement request is the first of its kind for Franklin County made possible as a result of recent changes to Florida Statutes that now allow fiscally-constrained counties to use Tourist Development Tax (TDT) revenue for infrastructure projects while still requiring a portion of TDT funds to be allocated for tourism promotion. Fiscally constrained counties such as Franklin County can now access TDT funds for infrastructure projects, which was previously limited to counties collecting at least $10 million annually. 

Franklin County Commissioner and TDC Chairman Ricky Jones is a proponent of the amended legislation and says it is a critical step in being able to fund tourist-related infrastructure in Franklin County. 

“We were successful last year in getting the TDT statute amended,” Jones said. “Now, Franklin County can address a wide variety of its infrastructure issues which have increased because of increased tourism in our area. It is helpful to our residents that we can now utilize these dollars to meet needs that is not being paid for by our residents.” 

The new law comes with new restrictions. To qualify for TDT funding for infrastructure, counties must secure a two-thirds vote from the county commission, continue to allocate at least 40% of TDT revenues to tourism promotion, obtain an independent professional analysis of the infrastructure project and fund no more than 70% of the infrastructure project with TDT revenue. Provisions of the new law now also allow counties to use TDT revenue to fund lifeguards on beaches, enhancing public safety. 

Making sure adequate infrastructure is available to support growing tourism industry is paramount to county leaders and they are putting their money to work. During the 2025 fiscal year the TDC recommended approval to the County Commission of more than $3 million in funding requests for tourism-related infrastructure projects countywide including beach dune walkovers, parks and playgrounds, piers, sports facility improvements, and other tourism-related infrastructure projects. 

Over the past six years, more than $10 million in TDC lodging tax funds have gone towards upgrading infrastructure throughout the county including renovations to Apalachicola’s historic Fort Coombs Armory, public bathrooms on St. George Island, dock facilities in Carrabelle as well as ongoing park and museum infrastructure repairs. 

Tourism-related infrastructure projects are also underway for 2026. In Apalachicola, more than a half million will go towards replacing the popular V pier along the Apalachicola riverfront. The V Pier was damaged during Hurricane Michael in 2018 and is considered a major draw for tourists as it provides access to both the Apalachicola Bay and River and is one of the first landmarks visitors see when crossing the bridge into Apalachicola. A key feature of the pier design is the addition of nine ADA-accessible fishing areas, ensuring that people of all abilities can experience the pier. In addition, ball fields in Apalachicola and Carrabelle will receive an upgrade in the form of new lighting and signage and a new pickleball court in Apalachicola. TDC funds are also being used to replace dune walkovers on St. George Island and Carrabelle Beach and to add 620 feet of Mobi-Mat at eight beach access points to make Carrabelle beaches easier to access. In Eastpoint, plans are on the drawing board for a public venue and park and the board also recently approved a request to dredge Eastpoint’s Indian River boat ramp located on North Bayshore Drive. 

“This creek has needed to be dredged for years now, “ said Commissioner Jones. “We have not increased taxes on our residents. We can now provide a benefit to our residents and visitors with these TDT funds.” For more information, contact Franklin County TDC 850-670-3474