During the Polk County Commission budget meeting June 14, the commission board spoke on how whitewater rafting could bring in more money for Polk County in the future.
Polk County Commissioner Dewey Esquinance said there was “one thing” he was currently looking into and that is how Polk County can make more money from the thousands of rafters that go down the Ocoee River every year.
Esquinance stated, “Cocke County (Tennessee), had a news report about how much money they were taking in from rafting,” saying that they were taking in over half a million dollars a year.
He continued saying, “They (United States Forest Service) are collecting $2 a head to go down the river,claiming that they do this by using a ‘private act fee’.”
Polk County Commissioner Greg Brooks said that the reason Polk County doesn’t get that money compared to Cocke County is because the Ocoee River is part of a State Park. He said, “What it is, the State Park runs the Ocoee River...so they basically get that money that Dewey is talking about. In Cocke County, the county runs the operation.”
Director of Accounts and Budgets Catrice Lowe and County Commissioner Debbie Davis asked if Cocke County might have had more rafting business than Polk County allowing them to receive more finance from rafting.
It was also mentioned that Polk County fire, rescue and police are responsible for action on the Ocoee River in case of emergency. Keith Barker, with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office stated, “They’re (USFS) not providing any emergency services... they won’t take a theft report, a wreck report, nothing.”
Brooks replied, “they need to either turn it over to us or do their jobs.”
Davis finished stating, “Something’s got to be done...it’s killing us.”