Manatee County’s bed tax bump from May to June exceeded $1 million.
In June, the county earned $3,367,633 from the bed tax or tourist development tax, an increase of 15.2% from revenue gleaned in June of last year, according to a report provided Aug. 1 by the county tax collector’s office.
For May, the tax collected was $2,170,776.
The income is the 5% tax on rentals of six months or less.
The June revenues have climbed year after year, except for June 2020, when travel fell due to the coronavirus pandemic. That year, the tax generated $1,443,184 in June, down from the $1,653,010 in June 2019.
In June, heads in beds in unincorporated Manatee County produced $1,106,963 in tourist development tax revenue or about 32.87% of total earnings.
Holmes Beach accommodations accounted for $981,257 or 29.14% of total revenue.
Anna Maria accommodations generated $555,169, about 16.48% of the revenue.
Bradenton Beach accommodations produced $191,472 — 5.69% of the revenue pie.
More June statistics:
- Longboat Key generated $235,940 or 7.01%;
- Bradenton generated $290,981 or 8.64%;
- Palmetto generated $6,062 or 0.18%.
Minus the tax collector’s 3% monthly administrative fee, the county’s net resort revenue in June was $3,266,604.
From Oct. 1, 2023-June 30, the bed tax generated $25,110,746.
The Manatee County Tourist Development Council advises the county commission on how to spend the revenue, which under state law must go to develop tourism and tourist amenities, such as funding for replacing the Anna Maria City Pier and beach renourishment programs on the island.
TDC members include County Commissioner Ray Turner, R-District 5, Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown; Palmetto Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant; hoteliers Jiten Patel, Ed Chiles, Eric Cairns and Rahul Patel and interested citizens Dave Wick and Norma Kennedy.
County commissioners reappointed Bryant and Brown to the council July 30.
The advisory board’s next meeting will be at 9:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 19, at the Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria.
Voters to decide 1% tourist tax increase
By Lisa Neff
Islander Editor
Manatee County commissioners voted 4-1 July 30 to ask voters to increase the tourist development tax paid by overnight visitors.
The county’s tourist development council unanimously voted in June to recommend the commission adopt an ordinance to move forward with a Nov. 5 general election referendum on adding a sixth cent to the bed tax.
Earlier in the year, the TDC voted to recommend the commission authorize the tax increase but a notice from the Florida Department of Revenue said a 2023 law changed the process for raising the tax — from commission approval to voter authorization.
The tourist development tax — also known as the resort tax or bed tax — is collected on overnight accommodations of six months or less, including vacation rentals and hotel rooms.
Manatee first enacted the tax in 1980 and has raised the collection figure over the years, with the last bump in 2009.
Based on the county’s 2023 tourist tax revenues, Manatee meets the criteria to be a high tourism-impact county eligible for an additional 1% tourist tax.
Florida counties can collect a sixth cent of tourist tax — the maximum possible — 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.
A penny increase in the tax would generate another $7 million to $8 million a year, according to the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The tax revenues must be used for tourism-related programs and projects, and, in Manatee County, it funds beach renourishment, pier reconstruction, airport expansion, preserve and park enhancements, cultural and heritage centers and the ferry service operating between Anna Maria Island and Bradenton.
“Tourism brings over $2 billion to our local economy a year,” BACVB executive director Elliott Falcione said July 30. “If we can build assets that are not only attractive to tourists but also benefit Manatee County residents with no cost to the residents, that’s a pretty good deal.”
“This is not a tax that is being put on citizens,” Commission Chair Mike Rahn, R-District 4, added. “It’s a tax on the tourism that comes into Manatee County.”
The ballot question will ask whether the county should “levy and collect an additional 1 percent tourist development tax from all short-term rentals of all lodging and accommodations in order to provide additional revenue to fund the improvements and operation of the county’s convention center, sports stadiums, aquariums, beaches, for the promotion of tourism and all other permissible uses.”
Commissioner Ray Turner, R-District 5, motioned to put the question before the voters and was seconded by Commissioner George Kruse, R-District 7.
The measure passed 4-1, with Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge, R-District 3, voting no and Commissioner Jason Bearden, R-District 6, absent.
After the vote, Van Ostenbridge said, “When I first ran for office I vowed that I would never vote to raise taxes and I never have and I never will.”
In addition to the bed tax, there is a 7% sales tax collected on short-term accommodations.
June tourist tax collections:
June 2020: $1,443,184
June 2021: $2,811,793
June 2022: $2,838,519
June 2023: $2,923,351
June 2024: $3,367,633
Source: Manatee County Tax Collector
