At the January meeting of the Town of Orange Park Economic & Community Development Committee, interim town manager William Whitson gave a detailed overview of Community Redevelopment Areas (CRAs) and how tax-increment financing (TIF) can be used to fund long-term redevelopment.

Whitson summarized the statutory framework and practical steps for creating a CRA under Florida law, saying, “It's created by Florida Statutes chapter 163 part 3,” and noting that the statute requires local findings that an area qualifies as “slum and blighted.” He told committee members the municipality would need county approval before forming a CRA in Clay County and that the town would have to produce an objective study showing the district meets the statutory criteria.

Whitson explained the basic TIF mechanics: a base year is set for property values inside the designated boundaries; future increases in assessed value (the increment) are captured and placed in a CRA fund to pay for district-specific improvements. “You take that increment of growth, you come up with a CRA plan, and then as you implement the elements within that plan, you can take that growth TIF, put it back into the district,” Whitson said. He emphasized that the base amount remains with the regular taxing authorities and that captured funds must be spent only inside the CRA and only for items listed in the CRA plan.

He cited examples from his experience in Bay County, where Panama City formed multiple CRAs and used TIF dollars for targeted investments: hiring additional police assigned to a district, improving streetscapes, installing lighting, and recruiting businesses into historic buildings. Whitson said one downtown retrofitting project created about 25 jobs. He also described a long-term acquisition approach used in Port Orange, where local government purchased aging trailer units over several years by mutual agreement and later redeveloped the waterfront area.

The committee asked how quickly TIF revenues become available. Whitson said a CRA is generally a long-term tool: plan terms often run up to 30 years and revenue builds slowly. He noted Green Cove Springs had collected roughly $50,000 in its first year and that projections showed substantial growth over time; Whitson said such programs “are not a short term thing” and may take years to generate meaningful funding for major projects. He also clarified legal limits: local city and county taxes can be captured in the increment but school-district millage cannot, and bonding against future TIF receipts is permitted if done in accordance with the plan and accounting requirements.

Several committee members raised local applicability and political sensitivity of the statutory language that requires a finding of “slum and blighted” conditions. Committee members asked whether any neighborhoods inside Orange Park meet the statutory criteria; Whitson said that a study would be required to make that determination and that qualifying conditions can be scattered or limited in scope. Members also discussed other tools named in the Haskell study, such as zoning overlays and business improvement districts, and asked staff to return with research comparing options.

The committee did not take formal action to form a CRA. Members requested staff follow up with a study of the Haskell-identified town-square area, coordinate conversations with Green Cove Springs staff (which had recently completed a CRA), and prepare options for the committee to present to the Town Council for budget consideration.

Whitson offered to return for additional presentations and technical follow-up. “Available anytime you want me to come back,” he said.