By Collin Breaux
A 2% increase in the tourism lodging tax for Washington County could be decided by voters during the general November election.
The Tourist Development Council (TDC) is working to place the matter on the fall ballot, a topic discussed during their meeting Tuesday, June 4. The current tax rate is 3%, having increased by 1% in 2004.
The TDC will present a proposal for the increase to the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) during a BOCC workshop Monday, June 17. The workshop will start at 6 p.m.
The BOCC has to approve moving forward with allowing the proposal on the ballot. The increase request would have to be approved by at least 60% of voters to pass and become an ordinance.
“I think it’s important to show them the tax rate,” TDC Chairman Ted Everett said. “When we first did this in 2000, 2%, that’s when I went for when we first started the TDC. We then got that extra penny in 2004. Twenty years have gone by without asking for any sort of increase to be voted on by the public.”
The presentation will also be for the public, BOCC meeting audience, and media, he said.
“We need them to talk about it,” Everett said.
The increase will be a “dedicated tax” and won’t go into ad valorem, meaning it won’t be mixed with the County’s budget.
The proposal and putting it on the ballot will not cost the BOCC anything.
Everett said the increase should not be referred to as a “bed tax.”
“It has to be called what it is–a lodging tax.Short-term rentals. I went through this in 2000,” Everett said. “ I can’t tell you how many times people said, ‘Why you taxing my beds?’ You got to make sure the public understands that all they’re voting on is an increase for people coming in for short-term rentals, i.e. RV sites or hotels or Airbnbs. Short-term overnight stays. That’s the only people paying this. Everybody here who’s gone to any hotel in any state has paid that tax.”
If the increase goes through, it is expected to bring in approximately $75,000 to $78,000 per year, depending on the number of overnight stays.
“I’ve looked at the occupancy rates for our hotels over the last four, five years,” Everett said. “None of the hotels, except for once in a blue moon, ever get over 60% occupancy rate. We need that extra money.”
Everett said the TDC has talked about turning one-day events into two-day events to put “heads in beds.”
“That’s the only way we derive our budget,” Everett said.
Increased funding could be used to start monitoring visitor data for events to see where people come from, how long they say, and which events are worth investing in, he said.
“The County Commission and the public need to see our economic impact,” Everett said.
Everett further said the TDC can look at where Bay and Walton counties are putting their money in terms of tourism marketing.
“They are the ones spending the high-end dollars reaching out into their markets,” he said. “We want to take any increase we get and follow their money. If they’re advertising in Canada–which they do and they’re getting those people down here and we’re getting more snowbirds coming up here to some of our attractions–we should be having a little trailer in those areas so that they tie Bay, Walton, and Washington County together.”
Having more sporting events in the area, such as for kids, was also mentioned during the TDC meeting.
The next TDC meeting will be held Tuesday, July 2, at 8 a.m. at the Washington County Chamber of Commerce first-floor meeting room (672 5th Street in Chipley).
KINSLEY COOK 
Staff Report