Ho, ho, ho!
The tourist tax revenues for December 2021 show local accommodation hosts and business owners had reason to be merry during the holidays.
The month that Santa stuffed his bag with presents also packed government coffers with tourist tax dollars.
The Manatee County Tax Collector’s office earlier this month released December 2021 collection numbers for the tourist development or bed tax — the 5% tax collected on overnight rentals of six months or less.
The third month of the 2021-22 fiscal year generated $1,996,281 in tourist development tax in Manatee County.
The amount is 41.41% more than the $1,414,742 generated in December 2020.
November’s numbers also were strong — $1,432,990 collected compared with $972,617 in November 2020.
Holmes Beach topped collections on Anna Maria Island in December, generating $496,573, about 24.85% of the countywide total.
Anna Maria accounted for about 9.61% of the collections, bringing in $192,144, and Bradenton Beach generated $129,762 or 6.49%.
The tax is collected by landlords and property managers on rentals of six months or less.
Some other numbers for December:
- Unincorporated Manatee County generated $791,130 or 39.58%;
- Bradenton generated $207,374 or 10.38%;
- Longboat Key generated $173,662 or 8.69%;
- Palmetto generated $8,009 or 0.4%.
The collection fee or commission on the tax is 3%, so the net collection for the Manatee County Tourist Development Council in December 2021 was $1,936,392.
Collections for the first quarter of the fiscal year total $4,866,646.
According to state law, resort tax revenues must be used to boost and develop tourism, including funding for the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Bradenton Area Convention Center and tourism-related entities such as Realize Bradenton and the Pittsburgh Pirates, as well as supporting projects, such as island beach renourishment and construction of the new Anna Maria City Pier.
The TDC, which will meet at 9 a.m. Monday, Feb. 14, at the county administration building in Bradenton, recommends how to spend the money to the county commission.
The January numbers will be released in March.
On the TDC
The Manatee County Tourist Development Council includes representatives from local governments, the tourism industry and the citizenry.
The council consists of citizens Jack Rynerson of Bradenton and Vernon DeSear of Palmetto; hoteliers Jiten Patel of the Holiday Inn Sarasota-Bradenton Airport in Sarasota, Eric Cairns of the Cedar Cove Resort in Holmes Beach, Ed Chiles of the Waterline Hotel in Holmes Beach and Rahul Patel of the Red Roof Inn in Ellenton; and Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown, Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant and Manatee County Commissioner Misty Servia, who chairs the board.
December tourist tax collections
December 2017: $1,036,875
December 2018: $1,139,445
December 2019: $1,177,171
December 2020: $1,414,742
December 2021: $1,996,281
Source: Manatee County Tax Collector