The tourism director referred to pennies.
The tax collector talked about nickels.
But neither was dealing with small change, as they indicated Manatee County’s tourist development tax revenues might reach $30 million in 2023 or 2024.
They addressed Manatee County commissioners and members of their advisory tourist development council during a joint workshop Dec. 13 at the county administration building in Bradenton.
The focus was on branding and building tourism countywide, as well as producing and collecting tourist taxes during what was described as the first meeting of the county board and tourist council since the county began levying a tourist tax in the 1980s.
The tourist development tax, also known as the resort or bed tax, is the 5% tax collected on accommodations for six months or less.
Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, led the presentation, which included remarks from Mark Stuckey, executive vice president at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, as well as Michele Schulz, director of field services and collections at the county tax collector’s office, and tax collector Ken Burton.
Decades ago, one of Burton’s roles in the tax collector’s office was to learn how other counties administered the tourist tax and implement a program for Manatee.
“We were hoping to collect a million and a half that very first year,” Burton said. “A lot has changed.”
“I really do not see this tourist tax slowing down,” he added. “We’re ripe. We’re talking maybe $30 million in the coming years.”
The $30 million could be reached this fiscal year, according to Schulz.
The tax is collected monthly in arrears and reported for a fiscal year calendar that begins in October.
So the most current collection report available is for October, the first month of 2022-23, when $1,792,372 was collected.
“We are up 24%,” Schulz said. “So we are already on track to probably hit that $30 million marker this year.”
She charted changes in the tax revenues over the past five years: $14.7 million in 2017-18, $15.9 million in 2018-19, $14.7 million in 2019-20 despite the coronavirus pandemic, 22.8 million in 2020-21; and $28.5 million in 2021-22.
The numbers prompted a few questions, observations and some speculation, including from Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown, who said he thinks there are a lot of tax scofflaws.
“We’re collecting maybe only half the money we should be collecting. … I do believe that we are leaving a lot of money on the table,” Brown said.
Falcione reviewed how the tax revenues are spent — a penny out of every five cents goes for projects related to beach renourishment and another $900,000 annually is budgeted for beach maintenance.
Falcione, as well as Stuckey, also reviewed ongoing projects and expansions, including:
- The launch of the Gulf Islands Ferry, with two 49-passenger boats, is set for early 2023, connecting travelers to stops in downtown Bradenton and the Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach bayfront piers.
Falcione said the boats are ordered, cities are on board and the BACVB will seek approval of an agreement with Clearwater Ferry from commissioners;
- Eleven airlines operate from SRQ, offering 56 nonstop destinations, up from six airlines and 12 nonstop destinations in 2018;
- Construction continues on a 252-room Marriott hotel in Palmetto near the Bradenton Area Convention Center, where planned improvements include a ballroom and a walkway to the hotel.
About the tourist tax
Resort tax revenues must be used to boost and develop tourism. In Manatee, the tax revenues are used 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. The TDC recommends how to spend the money to the county commission.
By the numbers
By percentage, Manatee County’s tourist development tax expenditures and commitments include: 30.3% for marketing; 14.7% for beach renourishment and erosion control; 12.2% for tourism-related capital improvement projects; 5.2% to Longboat Key for the Greer Island project; 7.9% for administration; 6.1% for aid to Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach; 5.1% to Mote Marine and Benderson Park in Sarasota; 4.6% to nonprofits such as ArtCenter Manatee and the Florida Railroad Museum; 4% to the Bradenton Area Convention Center and Premiere Sports Campus; 3% for the tax collector’s commission; 1.9% to Bradenton for MLB’s spring training; and 0.6% for tourist information centers.
— Lisa Neff