Barrier island cities hope state lawmakers hear their plea to preserve “old Florida.”
Municipal officials appealed to members of the Manatee County Legislative Delegation, who hosted the Dec. 20 gathering in the county chambers, pushing for a return of home rule for vacation rentals and a loosening of the restrictions that govern use of the tourist development tax.
The delegation — state Sen. Bill Galvano, chair, Rep. Jim Boyd, vice chair, Rep. Joe Gruters and Rep. Wengay Newton Sr. — was committed to lobbying in Tallahassee for legislative changes during the 2017 sessions.
North Port Mayor Linda Yates, ManaSota League of Cities president, was first to speak.
She said regulation of vacation rentals on the barrier islands continues to be a concern with members of the league.
Yates said she understands property rights are important, “but, we need to have a means and a mechanism for us to be able to locally legislate this and regulate it within reason.”
Yates also addressed the tourist development tax, saying that while tourism revenue is used to market the area, island cities do not have the funding to support the need for increased infrastructure.
Yates said during last year’s legislative sessions, three counties were able to change legislation to allocate 10 percent of their tourist tax revenue to public safety and infrastructure.
“What we are asking is that the Legislature change the threshold to where this would be allowed for counties with a population of 400,000 instead of the current 225,000” population ceiling, Yates said. “This is something our counties need to be able to bring in tourism and support necessary infrastructure.”
Longboat Key Mayor Terry Gans next addressed the delegation on the effect of tourism on the barrier islands.
Gans said the state has supported county beach renourishment, but “without an overall strategy and process.” He suggested 2017 might provide an opportunity to begin a more structured process to protect the beaches.
“It’s a state issue as much as it is a local issue,” Gans said.
Gans said another issue is short-term vacation rentals. He said existing rentals are grandfathered under old restrictions and these restrictions need to be revised, but he is concerned if the cities do any “tweaking” it will nullify any grandfathered status.
“What we are requesting is the state allow communities that have grandfathered provisions to be able to update and clarify revisions without jeopardizing their status,” Gans said.
Gans next brought up traffic problems, saying traffic is not just a quality-of-life issue for islanders.
“Tourism is the goose with the golden egg and if the goose gets stuck in traffic, it will relocate,” Gans said.
Gans concluded by saying he supports Yates’ statement on re-allocation of tourist tax revenue to support infrastructure.
“The population triples during season and our ongoing budgetary process is based on residential population,” Gans said.
Holmes Beach Mayor Bob Johnson also spoke at the Dec. 20 meeting.
“Preservation of ‘old Florida’ is at risk,” Johnson said. “The taking of home rule, specifically pertaining to short-term rentals, must be returned.”
Johnson said the resource needs of barrier island cities are “extraordinary” and must be addressed.
He said the state dissolution of home rule in 2011 “has had its affect.” He said he doesn’t understand why the “right to rent under any condition is deemed OK,” but the residents are losing property rights.
“That our state government considers the former valid and the latter invalid does not speak well for the property rights in Florida and needs to be fixed,” Johnson said.
Johnson also cited the threefold increase in population during season and the wear-and-tear this has on infrastructure and operations. He said the lack of funding to support those needs further amplifies the “deterioration and disappearance of ‘old Florida,’” as 22 percent of residents have moved from the Manatee County barrier islands since 2000.
Johnson concluded, saying tourists could go anywhere, but they choose to go to the islands because “we are unique.” He asked the delegation to halt “the deterioration of Anna Maria Island and other surrounding old Florida coastal communities.”
He asked the legislators to “find ways to help us maintain our uniqueness that has been so well-promoted for the benefit of the state.”