Some Montgomery County Commissioners question funding for Montgomery Whitewater
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) – Some Montgomery County Commissioners are expressing concern over the amount of funding being given to Montgomery Whitewater as they prepare the 2027 fiscal year budget.
At the last Montgomery County Commission meeting, three members said they have doubts about the $500,000 that has been included in this year’s budget to help fund the outdoor recreation complex. That number has not changed from last year’s budget, but in July of 2025, commissioners also approved $1 million to help cover operating expenses and existing bills.
Bobby Jon Drinkard, the chairman of the board that oversees Montgomery Whitewater, says he’s thankful for the commission’s support in the past and he says the board is in the process of having an audit done to shine more light on its financial situation. He says that audit should be finished by the end of the year, but he says closing the park, even temporarily, shouldn’t be an option.
“If you think we have a problem right now funding this park, the city will have a bigger problem on its hands when it comes to shutting something like this down,” Drinkard told Action 8 News.
Drinkard says all of the funding shouldn’t come from either the county or the city.
Montgomery Whitewater is located near Maxwell Air Force Base. Montgomery County Commission Chairman Doug Singleton says the location is paying off.
“They absolutely love it, and it’s noticeable up at the Pentagon what we’re doing. There’s an investment that we made right outside their gates,” Singleton said.
Singleton acknowledges that operating costs have been higher than expected.
Earlier this year, Jason Wilson left as the park’s executive director after being on the job for nearly a year. Montgomery County Community Cooperative District Chairman Bobby Jon Drinkard told Action 8 News that the board decided to make a change after reviewing overall operations, but stressed that Wilson didn’t do anything wrong. The park also paused all water activities for a month due to maintenance in the spring.
Only about half of the 120-acre Montgomery Whitewater property has been developed. New attractions have been added, including a ropes course and zip line, and there are plans to build a hotel on the site in the future. The attraction opened in July of 2023.
Singleton says the project was designed to be a catalyst for the city, and further announcements regarding Montgomery Whitewater could be made before the end of the year.
The five members of the county commission will vote on Montgomery County’s $183 million budget at their meeting next Tuesday.
Action 8 News will keep you updated.
