BayNews 9: Talk of bed tax stirring debate along beaches

Our friends at BayNews 9 did a nice piece on the 1 percent hotel bed tax in play in the Rays' $450-million financing plan for a new waterfront stadium. You can see the report here.

Currently, a five percent hotel tax is attached to people staying in Pinellas hotels. Of that, one percent is dedicated to fund Tropicana Field construction. The Rays are asking that tax to be extended and redirected to fund a new ballpark.

The money, about $5.4-million last year, can only be used to fund sports stadiums or convention centers or fund beach renourishment or on tourism marketing. The Tourist Development Commission is expected to make a non-binding recommendation to the Pinellas County Commission on extending the tax in July. The county will then be free to vote either to extend the tax or not. It needs four of seven votes to pass.

Comments

[Ray F]

So... shouldn't Tarpon Springs be equally upset if all those tourist dollars go to the beach instead of helping Alt19 to ease traffic thru downtown???

Maybe all the old fashioned folks here aren't hip to the deal that was made. (((NOTE: This may be my underlying conspiracy theory talking)))

When the commision ok'd the money to go toward the Trop, they had to come up with a reason for the county voters to buy into the idea... therefore they put the little provision into the "bed Tax" that a majority of the money would go towards improving the beach communities. Isn't it ironic that the bed tax would go away when the trop was paid off??? Hmmm provocative, I'm sure. In lay terms... why would I ask for 1 and get .25 when I can ask for 5 and get 1???

Sorry peeps... it's called crooked politics and you're never going to get rid of it so you may as well learn to live with it.

[Ray F]

Let US Vote,

soooo... paying for the Trop doesn't benefit the Rays? The bed tax expires in 2015. So you are wrong in saying that it will continue to be in place.

[Rick K]

Dave, that is true in a sense. The tax as currently enacted cannot be used to promote tourism or for beach renourishment.

I make this assertion based upon an explanation I witnessed (online via live video stream) of the BOCC meeting where the Commissioners discussed this with the County Attorney responsible for giving legal advice about tax issues.

As I understand it, not withstanding anything that local journalists may have said, the "fourth" cent tax is a local option tax, enacted by the County for various specific purposes, detailed at the time the local option tax is enacted.

The existing penny which pays for the Trop debt service can ONLY be used for the Trop or for a convention center (or similar large building, with certain strict limitations).

If I recall the statements of the County's tax attorney at that meeting, he told them that it would be possible for the County to enact a fourth cent tax under different legislation, and then use those proceeds for beach renourishment or tourism promotion.

Based on his understanding, it seems that the current one penny tax was enacted to be used specifically to pay debt service on the Trop.

I got the impression from the Attorney's statements to the Commission that it would be possible (when, I am not sure) to rescind the fourth cent tax as enacted now, and replace it with a differently enacted fourth cent local option bed tax, which could then be used for other specific purposes.

Regardless, the question will remain,
which use of the fourth cent tax will provide a greater return to the County's tourism industry?

[Let us vote NO!!]

Ray, Ray, Ray, you just don't "get it"...

In 7 years, when the Trop is paid off, that bed tax money that has been diverted FROM tourist development will revert BACK TO tourist development. It's not going to just "stop".

The Rays want that money to pay for their new home. The beach mayors want that money to lure tourists and renourish the beaches to "help" protect them from the eventuality of a hurricane striking us.

My money is on the beach mayors and the TDC telling the BOCC that the Rays can "go pound sand" (haha I made a funny, get it? Beach/sand?).

Only once in history has the BOCC gone against the TDC's recommendation.

Not good odds, my friend.

[Let us vote NO!!]

Rick K said:

"The existing penny which pays for the Trop debt service can ONLY be used for the Trop or for a convention center (or similar large building, with certain strict limitations)".

Another blatant lie from our spinster, RrrrriCK!!!

[Ray F]

Sooo... the tax will be kept by scaring people by threatening annihilation by a hurricane??? I can see the ad campaign now.

"Come visit the beautiful beaches of Pinellas County... Now with 1% less liklihood of death by Hurricanes."

get real. Maybe you live in a world where you have to follow what the scare tactics that are employed against you tell you to follow... i don't understand.

[Rick K]

Let us vote No is demonstrating his propensity for idiocy.

Rick K said, in a lengthy post, that he understands the County's tax attorney to have advised the Board of County Commissioners that the existing penny bed tax as enacted can NOT be used for beach renourishment or promoting tourism.

And, Rick K just looked it up. His memory was correct!

[Let us vote NO!!]

It's not a scare tactic, moron. It's called reality. Take a drive out to Upham beach sometime and take a look at the ridiculous looking "geo-tubes" they put out in the water to attempt to keep the sand in place. You're obviously NOT from here or you'd know how often and how expensive it is to keep sand on those beaches.

Scare tactic? You're the one with the scare tactics..."build it or we lose the Rays and return to "the green bench city"....spare me with your nonsense.

But hey, we'll just see how that works out for ya, come July!! LMAO!!

[Let us vote NO!!]

Rick K

LOL....that's all I have for you...as in, you're a joke, dude.

[Thomas]

Why dont we have the county propose a referendum that allows the use of the bed tax to be applied where it is most needed instead of for a Rays stadium.

[Ray F]

When have I called you a name like moron???

I think that's a childish way to avoid civil debate. and I am from here and I know about beach renourishment. I also know that dumping a few tons of sand on a beach isn't going to save it from the apocalyptic Cat. 5 you're envisioning. As far as scare tactics go, the Rays have never said they were leaving town. I feel they will leave town if they don't get a new stadium, but never did I say that the Rays leaving would leave a hundred thousand people homeless like you assume would happen if the penny tax wasn't diverted to beach renourishment in time to protect from Hurricane Billy Bob.

I will not lower myself to calling you names. If you wish to continue calling me names, please use more colorful words.

[Let us vote NO!!]

Again, we'll see how that works out for you, come July when the BOCC votes, SIR.

Is that better? The outcome will be the same. LMAO!!!

[Rick K]

Dave:

Since I think you are telling me that BayNews 9 said something different from what I heard the County's tax attorney tell the BOCC, I thought it might be good to provide a link to the Attorney talking with County Commissioners.

Meeting minutes of the 5/20/08 Pinellas County Commission meeting are not yet available online.

Go to the link, and click on item #39, the attorney appears about 2/3 of the way in.

http://www.pinellascounty.org/media/bcc_2008_05_20/Results.htm

[Thanks to Rick K]

Appreciate the link which cuts through the BS

[Don in St. Pete]

Sorry Rick K. but you have it spun wrong again. That was an answer to a question but I also heard the Attorney for the County tell the BOCC that .25 of the penny is now used by the beach communities to promote tourism. You'd better go back and watch the whole video. The Attorney also said the money could be all shifted to the beaches to promote tourism. No Waterfront Stadium!

[Truth Detector]

I cannot agree with Don from St Pete. Rick K's detailed description is a more accurate reflection of the law surrounding the current local option bed tax.