Countywide Tourist Development Tax

[SoWal Staff]

On Tuesday's BCC Agenda:

Request approval to advertise and hold a public hearing on July 28,2020, at 9:00 A.M. or soon thereafter at the Walton County Courthouse in DeFuniak Springs to consider an ordinance to place a referendum on the November 3, 2020 ballot that, if passed by the electors, would levy and impose a 2 percent tourist development tax in non-taxed portions of the County

 

[James Bentwood]

Anyone have details? How would this tax be levied and collected? Is this so the north part of the county can benefit from dollars generated by beach tourism or is it to further fund beach advertising? A method for the north end to further control the south?

 

[miznotebook]

This has been in the works for some time. My understanding is that if it is approved, the bed tax would start to be collected on short-term rental accommodations north of the bay (mostly motels and hotels) and would be available to use for promotion of visitation north of the bay and projects in the area north of the bay as allowed by state law. The north end would also get representation on the Tourist Development Council. Bed taxes would also continue to be collected on short-term rental accommodations south of the bay, as well, of course.

 

[James Bentwood]

Thanks for the info!

Seems like there should be a separate TDC for north walton. It is an entirely different world away.

 

[Bob Wells]

I was also told that the reason it wasn't the same as the SoWal bed tax is because they couldn't just increase it to that by State Law.

 

[Matt J]

Thanks for the info!

Seems like there should be a separate TDC for north walton. It is an entirely different world away.

Then how would they funnel millions back north of the bay?

 

[bob1]

Then how would they funnel millions back north of the bay?

This whole things smells like a ploy to grab even more money from SoWal bed tax.

 

[Bob Wells]

This whole things smells like a ploy to grab even more money from SoWal bed tax.

I was pretty sure the purpose was to fund their own events. I don't remember if SoWal money would be funneled north.

 

[Matt J]

I was pretty sure the purpose was to fund their own events. I don't remember if SoWal money would be funneled north.

The north can have a separate district, attaching it to the existing TDC is purely a money grab.

 

[miznotebook]

Asked about the accounts and was told they would be separate for north and south. Agree that is a good thing to keep an eye on. I believe under the existing arrangement the TDC is furnishing upwards of $20,000 per year to fund promotion of events north of the bay. Not sure if the bed tax north of the bay would bring much more than that. Seems like this is something some folks in the north have been wanting for a while in hopes of getting tourists up that way. Can't see the north end drawing tourists like the beach does, though, just the nature of the beast.