PANAMA CITY — Defining the bay versus the beach will be a priority for funds collected from a new tax in Panama City.
Members of Panama City’s Tourist Development Council (TDC) Plan Advisory Committee also spent time during their meeting Thursday discussing strategies to help ensure a vote of approval from Panama City residents for a 5 percent “bed tax” expected to be on November ballots.
Recent estimates indicate $2.8 million hang in the balance, which would need to be allocated over the tax’s first two years of implementation. By the meeting’s end, city staff and TDC officials had direction to bring back what projects or programs could legally receive those funds.
“We’re creating the first draft of that plan — a broad outline of where the committee should go,” said Dan Rowe, TDC director. “It allows the committee to rip it apart, enhance it and develop it to where it tells the city’s story.”
Rentals of hotels, motels, apartments, condominiums and homes within Panama City limits for less than six months would generate the funds.
Committee members expressed a desire to promote sporting events, entertainment, arts and culture while enhancing those facilities; but it seemed to come down to marketing St. Andrews Bay as what sets Panama City apart from any other destination.
“We have to figure out what it is Panama City offers you cannot get anywhere else; and if you can, it’s not like it is in Panama City,” said Bob Zales, committee member. “These two marinas offer something you don’t find everywhere.”
Legal allocations for the money can be broken into three categories to meet state standards: advertisement, public relations, or the separate category encompassing services, events and venues.
In the first year, at least, committee members discussed the majority of money going to branding and marketing efforts. They also discussed setting aside funds for beautification efforts, response to storm events or emergency situations in a reserve.
One problem plans for the tax could run into during a referendum vote, Rowe said, is marking too much of the funds as “contingent.”
“Money that doesn’t have a home is difficult,” he said. “If you just say: ‘we’re going to hold onto it,’ it isn’t held in the public’s trust.”
The best way to walk that line is to find the area where community and visitor interests converge, Rowe said.
“Ultimately, what is attractive to the community is what is attractive to visitors,” Rowe said.
The two-year plan has to be developed and then approved by the City Commission before it can be considered by the Bay County Commission. Once it passes through each commission, a referendum vote — where all Panama City voters will have their say — would be held.