Hear the jingle-jangle?
The first tourist tax collections reported for the 2022-23 fiscal year registered a 24.7% increase over the prior year.
The Manatee County Tax Collector’s office on Dec. 1 released October collection numbers for the county tourist tax, also known as the resort or bed tax — it’s the 5% tax collected on accommodation rentals of six months or less.
The first month of the 2022-23 fiscal year showed $1,792,372.44 collected. In 2021-22, the same month’s collections totaled $1,437,374.
Holmes Beach topped collections on Anna Maria Island, generating $378,725, about 21.13% of the total.
Anna Maria accounted for about 7.44% of the collections, bringing in $133,316, and Bradenton Beach generated $80,358 or 4.48%.
Some other numbers for October:
- Unincorporated Manatee County generated $869,415 or 48.5%.
- Bradenton generated $203,133 or 11.33%;
- Longboat Key generated $122,837 or 6.85%;
- Palmetto generated $4,721 or 0.26%;
The collection fee or commission on the tax is 3%, so the net collection for the Manatee County Tourist Development Council in October was $ 1,738,601.
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 Anna Maria City Pier.
The TDC recommends how to spend the money to the county commission.
November numbers will be released Jan. 2.
October tourist tax collections
October 2018: $694,834
October 2019: $807,356
October 2020: $954,682
October 2021: $1,437,374
October 2022: $1,792,372
Source: Manatee County Tax Collector