TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – The Tallahassee City Commission voted to sell the Capital City Country Club for over a million dollars on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The controversial vote comes amid public pushback<\/a>, as there\u2019s a plantation cemetery on the site where unmarked graves of formerly enslaved people sit. <\/p>\n The city only recently started building a memorial on the site.<\/p>\n Assistant City Manager Christian Doolin said work on the memorial continues, and striping for the parking went in on Wednesday. <\/p>\n The sign, which went up just days ago, was minted in 2021. Critics of the sale say the city only started work on the memorial<\/a> to complete the sale. Doolin did not mention why the sign on the date is from several years ago.<\/p>\n More Tallahassee news:<\/p>\n \u201cWhy is the site only now receiving attention? It cannot be a coincidence,\u201d one public speaker said.<\/p>\n Another speaker asked why it\u2019s taken three years to start the memorial. Some city officials have previously cited tornadoes in 2024 as a delay.<\/p>\n City staff say the sale of the golf course will be beneficial. The city would make just over a million dollars, and some of that money would pay for the memorial. <\/a><\/p>\n Deed restrictions<\/a> would ensure the property remains a golf course and that FAMU can practice there.<\/p>\n Other options for the property were floated at Wednesday\u2019s commission meeting, but they were not recommended by staff. One option was to operate the club as a municipal golf course, but the city would lose more than $3 million a year, something Doolin said is partly because of the two other courses in Tallahassee.<\/p>\n The Capital City Country Club currently leases the property from the city and wants to buy it to make improvements. They say they can\u2019t get the financing they need if they are just renters.<\/p>\n Just before the meeting, some of those opposed to the sale were barred from bringing signs or notes into the meeting. A city staff member said it\u2019s city policy that signs are not allowed, but some argued the 8×11 fliers were notes, not signs. <\/p>\n Over two dozen public speakers joined the meeting to share their thoughts on the sale, some saying it\u2019s not in the public interest.<\/p>\n One speaker, an FSU professor, said she couldn\u2019t believe the city commission was even considering the sale.<\/p>\n NEW: The Tallahassee City Commission is now debating whether or not to sell a golf course to the Capital City Country Club<\/p>\n It\u2019s controversial, as there\u2019s a plantation cemetery on the site where the formerly enslaved are buried. <\/p>\n The city is only now building a memorial. pic.twitter.com\/jFzz7yfSkp<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Matt Hoffmann (@ByMattHoffmann) December 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Discussion then turned to the commissioners.<\/p>\n Commissioner Jeremy Matlow said selling the golf course \u201ctakes it away from us.\u201d He suggested taking out a $2 million bond that the club would pay back over 15 years, though the club would retain its lease for 30 years.<\/p>\n Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox said there\u2019s been misinformation about the delay. \u201cIt\u2019s very disingenuous because this commission is committed to identifying what we can do about it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Williams-Cox said she is ready to move forward with the sale so that money can be put into city services.<\/p>\n Commissioner Richardson shared his frustrations but ultimately said he would support the motion.<\/p>\n After a heated discussion on all sides, the commission voted 3-2 to sell the land to the Capital City Country Club.<\/p>\n Mayor John Dailey, Commissioners Williams-Cox and Richardson voted for the sale. Commissioners Matlow and Porter voted against. <\/p>\n Porter made a motion to conduct a new study to find all of the graves on the property, but the city manager said the first report was well done by the National Park Service. The motion for a new study failed 3-2.<\/p>\n To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0Instagram<\/a>,\u00a0YouTube<\/a>,\u00a0Nextdoor<\/a>\u00a0<\/a>and\u00a0X<\/a>\u00a0(Twitter<\/a>).<\/p>\n Have a news tip or see an error?\u00a0Write to us here<\/a>. Please include the article\u2019s headline in your message.<\/p>\n Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0to get started.<\/p>\n Copyright 2025 WCTV. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n