The Manatee County Tourist Development Council endorsed spending nearly $400,000 in tourist revenue to help fund multimodal paths in Holmes Beach.
The TDC, chaired by Commissioner Amanda Ballard, R-District 2, on Oct. 30 unanimously voted to recommend that the board of county commissioners allocate tourist tax funding for the project.
Two years ago, facing a TDC chaired by former County Commissioner James Satcher, similar requests from the city faced opposition. Holmes Beach officials and county commissioners, including Satcher, were at frequent political odds and the TDC had questions about whether the island cities were working together on multimodal paths.
Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the island cities are now working on “integrating these pedestrian-bike trail paths up and down the 7-mile island” for “the greater good.”
The city is proposing a 6-foot path along Marina and Gulf drives and 65th Street to improve access to the beaches and other recreational areas. The path would be built:
- Along Marina from 56th Street to 66th Street to connect to a path that extends into Anna Maria;
- Along Gulf Drive to connect the sidewalk on 66th Street to sidewalks at Holmes Boulevard.
The project cost is estimated at $528,412, with the city’s funding at $133,401 and the TDC’s funding at $395,011.
“Please, keep in mind that the city of Holmes Beach is the second-highest collector of the tourism tax, with unincorporated Manatee County being the No. 1 collector,” Falcione said.
Several council members, including Ballard, Holmes Beach Commissioner Dan Diggins and hoteliers Eric Cairns and Tony DeRusso, spoke in favor of the city’s request,
“Multimodal transportation is an amenity for tourism,” DeRusso said. “It’s almost an expectation. … I did come from California. And I can tell you, in California, multimodal transportation is everywhere. In the county that I lived in, I could get on an e-bike or an e-scooter, Rollerblades or whatever, and I could access my entire county. … It’s an incredible amenity.”
In another vote, the TDC unanimously recommended awarding $15,000 in tourist development tax revenues to Holmes Beach for sponsorship of the city’s 75th anniversary celebration in December.
In addition to the financial support, Falcione said the BACVB would promote the celebration on its social media platforms.
The next TDC meeting will be at 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 15, at the county administration building, 1112 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.
About the TDC
The Manatee County Tourist Development Council recommends to county commissioners how to spend the tourist development tax — the 6% tax collected on overnight rentals of six months or less. TDT spending must boost and develop tourism.