Boo!
October’s tourist tax dollars — the first collections reported for the 2023-24 fiscal year — registered a 17% decrease compared to the prior year.
The Manatee County Tax Collector’s office earlier this month released October collection numbers for the county tourist tax — the 5% tax collected on accommodation rentals of six months or less.
The first month of the 2023-24 fiscal year showed $1,482,123 collected. In 2022-23, the same month’s collections totaled $1,792,372.
However, the tourist take in October was higher compared to other years, including the $1,437,374 collected in October 2021 and the $954,682 collected in October 2020.
The pattern was similar for September, when the 2023 collections of $1,495,995 dropped compared to the $1,543,920 collected in September 2022 but were still higher than for other Septembers.
Looking at the October numbers, Holmes Beach topped collections on Anna Maria Island, generating $408,794 — about 27.58% of the total.
Anna Maria accounted for about 9.92% of total collections, bringing in $146,979, and Bradenton Beach heads in beds generated $69,474 or 4.69%.
Some other numbers for October:
• Unincorporated Manatee County generated $609,618 or 41.13%.
• Bradenton generated $132,061 or 8.91%.
• Longboat Key generated $112,197 or 7.57%.
• Palmetto generated $3,207 or 0.22%.
The collection fee or commission on the tax is 3%, so the net collection in October was $1,437,863.
The resort tax revenues must be used to boost and develop tourism. In Manatee, the funding goes to the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Bradenton Area Convention Center, the Gulf Island Ferry and other tourism-related entities such as Realize Bradenton and the Pittsburgh Pirates, and tourism projects, including beach renourishment.
The advisory tourist development council recommends how to spend the money to the county commission.
November resort tax data will be released in early January.
A 2024 calendar with the next TDC meeting was not posted as of Islander press time Dec. 11.
Know your TDCs
The tourist development council recommends to county commissioners how to spend the tourist development tax — the 5% tax collected on overnight rentals of six months or less.
TDT spending must boost and develop tourism.
TDC members include County Commissioner James Satcher as chair, Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown, Palmetto Mayor Shirley Bryant, hoteliers Jiten Patel, Ed Chiles, Eric Cairns and Rahul Patel and interested citizens Dave Wick and Norma Kennedy.
October tourist tax collections
October 2019: $807,356
October 2020: $954,682
October 2021: $1,437,374
October 2022: $1,792,372
October 2023: $1,482,123
Source: Manatee County Tax Collector