Local tourism officials on Tax Day were set to discuss whether to recommend a raise in the bed tax.
The Manatee County Tourist Development Council was to meet April 15, as The Islander went to press, at the county administration building in Bradenton. The council’s eight-item agenda included a discussion and possible vote on increasing the tourist development tax levy — from 5 cents to 6 cents.
The tax — also known as the bed tax or resort tax — is collected on overnight accommodations of six months or less. Manatee County enacted the tax in 1980.
Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, was to present the proposal at the meeting, as well as review a letter from the Florida Department of Revenue’s Office of Tax Research.
The state letter indicated that based on the county’s 2023 tourist tax revenues, Manatee meets the criteria to be a high tourism-impact county and the board of county commissioners could consider levying an additional 1% tourist tax.
Florida counties can collect a sixth cent of tourist tax once they pass the threshold of $30 million a year in such taxes.
Manatee collected $30,090,618 in tourist tax revenues in the calendar year of 2023. Also, according to the BACVB, the county generated $625,890,749 in taxable rental revenues.
“Currently, Manatee County collects 5% tourism tax on all short-term rentals (six months or less), while Hillsborough, Pinellas and Sarasota counties levy 6%, allowing them to invest in tourism-related capital improvement projects, as well as market their destinations to prospective tourists,” a BACVB memo on the “tourism tax opportunity” states.
A penny increase in the tax would generate another $6 million a year.
The memo reads, “This tourism tax would help support the development of assets that appeal to visitors but would also be utilized by residents, at the cost of the tourism tax.”
Tourist tax revenues must be used for tourist-related programs and projects. The BACVB said the sixth penny could be allocated for special events facilities, sports venues, arts and culture amenities, piers and docks, public transit and airline partnerships.
The next TDC meeting will be at 9:30 a.m. Monday, June 10, at the Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria.