There’s gold in them thar rentals.
For 16 consecutive months, Manatee County’s income from a 5% tax on rentals of six months or less has exceeded revenue from the previous year.
In June, the county earned $2,838,519 from the “bed tax,” a $26,725 increase from revenue gleaned in June of last year.
Revenue numbers for May and June have tracked more closely to resort tax income from the same months in 2021, a sign the boom the area has experienced since late 2020 could be plateauing.
The county’s fiscal year begins in October and ends in September.
From October 2021 to June 2022, the county earned $22,712,366, about a 30% increase from the same period in 2020 and 2021.
Compared to October 2018 to June 2019 earnings, a prepandemic period the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau uses as its tourism data benchmark, the county’s fiscal-year-to-date bed tax revenue represents an approximately 76% increase.
In June, unincorporated Manatee County brought in $954,493 in bed tax revenue, or about 34% of total earnings.
Holmes Beach accounted for $890,927 or 31% of total revenue.
Anna Maria gleaned $311,112, while Bradenton Beach earned $203,350 — a combined 18% slice of the revenue pie.
More June statistics:
- Longboat Key generated $235,847 or 8.3%,
- Bradenton generated $233,817 or 8.2%,
- Palmetto generated $9,045 or 0.3%.
Minus the tax collector’s 3% monthly administrative fee, the county’s net resort revenue in June was $2,753,363.
The county commission receives input from the Manatee County Tourist Development Council on resort tax spending decisions.
Know your TDCs
In addition to making revenue spending recommendations, the TDC — a nine-member volunteer group comprising elected officials, hospitality property owners and citizens involved in the tourism industry — advises the county board on tourist development projects.
Members include County Commissioner Misty Servia, chairman, Vernon DeSear, Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant, Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown, Ed Chiles, Eric Cairns, Jack Rynerson, Jiten Patel and Rahul Patel.
June tourist tax collections:
June 2018: $1,527,732
June 2019: $1,653,010
June 2020: $1,443,184
June 2021: $2,811,793
June 2022: $2,838,519
Source: Manatee County Tax Collector
