PANAMA CITY — Members of a newly formed committee tasked with determining which projects will benefit from an estimated $4 million in tourism tax revenue have scheduled their first meeting, officials said.
Panama City commissioners appointed five members to the Tourist Development Council (TDC) Plan Advisory Committee during its most recent meeting March 11. Those members — consisting of hoteliers, entertainment organizers and fishing industry insiders — are scheduled to meet April 3 and will determine how the city’s first 5 percent “bed tax” will be spent in its first two years of implementation.
“I’d like to see input from the standpoint of the Community Redevelopment Agency and the Beach to ensure we are not crossing over, that we are not getting something in conflict, to say we are doing something different here,” Mayor Greg Brudnicki said.
Panama City Beach and Mexico Beach are members of the TDC, but Panama City’s ordinance more closely resembles that of Mexico Beach, as city commissioners would determine where revenues from the tax would be spent instead of the TDC’s six-member board. The state requires plans for the first two years of revenue, estimated at $2 million each, to be outlined before levying a tourism tax.
City commissioners expressed a desire to compose a list of the top five public projects — including a sports complex and improvements to entertainment and cultural attractions — which could benefit from the tax while adhering to Florida laws.
Florida statute stipulates funds can be used to acquire, build, repair or promote zoological parks, fishing piers, nature centers, convention centers, aquariums or museums that are publicly owned or owned by not-for-profit organizations. The revenue also can be spent on advertising to attract tourism revenue.
Members of the committee to develop the Tourist Development Tax Plan include: hoteliers Harry Patel and Jason Oakes; Jennifer Jones, Marina Civic Center director; Bob Zales, charter fisherman; and Andrew Levy, attorney. Dan Rowe, TDC director, and Doug Sale, TDC attorney, would act as ex-officio advisers from the TDC.
The committee’s initial meeting April 3 will be at 2 p.m. in the Commission Conference Room in Panama City City Hall, 9 Harrison Ave.
