March Tourist Tax Climbs, County Eyes Rental Registry

By Lisa Neff

Manatee County’s tourist tax revenues are off the mark for the fiscal year, but in March they were up for the second consecutive month.

Hurricanes Helene and Milton dealt many blows to the region, including hard hits to the tourism industry. The storms’ impacts resulted in declines in the tourist development tax. Also known as the bed or resort tax, the TDT is a tax on accommodations rented for six months or less that funds tourism-related projects and improvements. Voters in November 2024 approved a 1% increase, bringing the rate to 6%, effective Jan. 1.

Resort tax collections in October 2024, the first month of the 2024-25 fiscal year, were down 8.98% from October 2023.

Collections were down 17.71% in November 2024 from the year prior, down 16.6% in December 2024 and down 4.47% in January 2025.

However, the revenues went up 7.48% in February compared to February 2024.

In March, the revenues surpassed the year before by 1.77%, as well as surpassed $5 million for the first time this fiscal year, according to a numbers report released May 1 by the county tax collector’s office.

The March collections grossed $5,396,781 and, minus a collection fee of 3%, the county took in $5,234,878 for tourism-related programs and projects.

Accommodations in unincorporated Manatee brought in the largest share of the March revenues, 39.08% or $2,109,354 gross.

Holmes Beach, as usual, brought in the second largest collection — $1,334,350 or 24.72%, followed by Anna Maria with $715,602 or 13.26%, Bradenton with $522,405 or 9.68%, Longboat Key with $418,200 or 7.75% and Palmetto with $112,810 or 2.09%.

April revenues will be released June 1, as the taxes for that month will be turned in to the tax collector’s office this month.

Meanwhile, Manatee County commissioners are looking at options for registration and safety at some of the properties that generate the tourist tax — short-term vacation rentals.

The board of county commissioners in January directed staff to draft an ordinance dealing with rentals and achieving a mix of goals:

• Preserve the character of local neighborhoods;

• Address public safety, noise and parking issues;

• Address costs associated with complaints and enforcement;

• Create a county-managed system for creating a registry and issuing licenses.

Some local municipalities already have registration systems, including Bradenton.

The county commission was expected to get an update on the status of the effort this week from Rob Wenzel, division manager for the county’s development services, along with code enforcement chief Tom Wooten and West Manatee Fire Rescue fire Marshal Rodney Kwiatkowski.