A short month delivered big bucks for tourism development.
The Manatee County Tax Collector’s office April 1 released February 2022 collection numbers for the tourist development or bed tax — the 5% tax collected on overnight rentals of six months or less.
The month generated $2,954,355 in tourist development tax in the county.
The amount is 53% more than the $1,928,629 generated in February 2021.
Holmes Beach topped collections on Anna Maria Island in February, generating $865,065, about 28.93% of the countywide total.
Anna Maria accounted for about 7.31% of the collections, bringing in $216,158 and Bradenton Beach generated $166,667 or 5.64%.
Some other numbers for February:
- Unincorporated Manatee County generated $1,145,685 or 38.77%;
- Bradenton generated $252,154 or 8.53%;
- Longboat Key generated $312,777 or 10.58%;
- Palmetto generated $6,681 or 0.23%.
The collection fee or commission on the tax is 3%, so the net collection for the Manatee County Tourist Development Council in February was $2,865,723.
For the first five months of the 2021-22 fiscal year, the gross tourist tax totaled $10,492,155.
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 recommends how to spend the money to the county commission.
The March numbers will be released in early May and the TDC will meet next at 9 a.m. Monday, April 18, at the county administration building, 1112 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.
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; Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown, Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant, and Manatee County Commissioner Misty Servia, who chairs the board.
February tourist tax collections
February 2018: $1,640,165
February 2019: $1,813,708
February 2020: $2,114,161
February 2021: $1,928,629
February 2022: $2,954,355
Source: Manatee County Tax Collector