Abolish The Current TDC Board

I have a thought.

You could present a "Big Blue Monster" sign to each of the removed Board members as recognition for the service.

That would save on the disposal cost, and save on the recognition items as well.

I have a thought.

You could present a "Big Blue Monster" sign to each of the removed Board members as recognition for the service.

That would save on the disposal cost, and save on the recognition items as well.

I attend both the TDC Board meeting and the TDC Blue sign Workshop. A common perception that I arrived at during and after both of the meetings was the level of arrogance that both The TDC Board and Staff dealt with the citizens of Walton County.

The people at both meetings were there seeking to right what they viewed as a "Good Idea Gone Wild". A program conceived by the TDC Staff and approved by the TDC Board. One of the current TDC board members is also a member of the Design Review Board and absolutely "wigged out" over the color scheme chosen by Posh Interiors. That individual led the charge to enact a new color palette for all businesses in the Scenic Corridor. Never have I seen the arrogance by appointed or elected officials as they were approached by a polite but united group of citizens.

This group treated the local citizens with contempt and violated the Florida Open meetings requirements and then called and reported a disturbance (I was there - there was no disturbance ) to the Walton County Sheriffs Office.

The Bay County Commission disbanded it's Tourist Development Council and started over from ground zero. A new Board and new director. We currently have an interim TDC administrator that has shown in a very public manner that he is not up to the job.

I believe that the current Board has lost sight of the true reason for their existence. They have for too long had very little public oversight of the "tax dollars" they collect. They are now trying to promote and brand this area in a manner that is in very stark contrast with the actual resource that sets the 30-A corridor apart from the rest of Florida's Seaside communities.

I believe that we need a fresh start - We should work to have the Board of County Commissioners get a fresh start by removing them all. They are not serving our interest and are thumbing their nose at the public.

Lets simply disband and start over with qualified individuals that have a sense of the uniqueness of this area and a desire to market that uniqueness to a very interested tourist population.

Your thoughts ?

This should include a full independent audit that will show where the tax is collected and how it is spent. Everyone should understand that no matter who pays the tax, we have a vested interest in being vigilant about how it is spent.

The TDC does not collect the tax directly. That is a function of the Clerk of Court, and we are audited regularly so an additional audit wouldn't hurt. The list of bed tax collectors and any information showing how much each one pays is not public information pursuant to Florida Statute 213.053, but we can provide the historical collections by month and year all the way back to the beginning of self-administration.

All anyone desiring that information has to do is PM me with your e-mail address. It is in Excel format.

Thanks ShallowsNole, I'll take you up on that.

I want to be clear that I am not implying that the Clerk of Court or it's employees are under my suspicion. I poorly worded my last post. I think that folks should be aware of every penny that the TDC spends. I also think that we need to stop the TDC from feeding us the lie "that the bed tax isn't a tax because residents don't pay it." That is how the TDC has operated for years, convincing folks that they shouldn't be too concerned about the money, it isn't yours anyway. It belongs to the taxpayers of Walton County the minute it is collected.

TDC Board Members

Scott Brannon, County Commissioner
BCC Representative

Mary Jo Tommas, One Seagrove Place

I am guessing she represents tourist industry

Maurice Gilbert, Realty One Services

-Tax Authority Rep

Link
- Chairman South Walton FIre District

Ken Gifford, Rosemary Beach

Tourism ?

Mike Strange, Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort

Tax Authority Rep - South Walton FIre District Bd Mbr.

Mary Brown, Beach Rentals of South Walton

Tourism

John Gillis, Trustmark Bank

Haven't a clue what his link is

Don McQuade, Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort

Tourism Rep

Tim Norris, Re/Max

Tourism Rep

Links
NW Florida Water District Bd. Mbr.
Vice Chairman -Walton Coutny Republican Party

Help me figure out their appointment qualification, please - I have filled in what I know.

"These Folks Gotta Go"

As far as abolishing the current board. I think there are some serving that can still be spoken to and probably turned around. Maybe you ought to give them a chance after the last meeting? Also there is already a new director coming and they may want to take things in a different direction.

Yes - there are really a very small number of "qualified" individuals to appoint to the various Boards in Walton County. We solve the problem by appointing the "very few qualified" to multiple boards.

Fill out a volunteer form and send it to Ken Little - then hold your breath for a very long time. Don't worry though - when you pass out - your system reboots automatically.

It is easy enough to find out what they spend. The expenditures are released to the BCC and interested citizens several times a week broken down by department. All you have to do is email Melissa Thomason and tell her you want on the list. Her email is thomelissa@co.walton.fl.us. It is a very interesting report. If you see anything that you want more information about, just ask Melissa and she will send you a pdf of the supporting documentation. Then you can question your commissioner about where your money is going.

Just to give you some examples from the latest EAL for the TDC:

Sandestin Beach Hilton $2886.45 Meeting space
Walton County Chamber of Commerce $7000.00 Publications, Vacation Packets
A-1 Mini Storage $200.00 Unit #93
Clean Pix Corp $500.00 Digital File Courier
Courtyard by Marriott $1882.00 Hotel Charges
Baudville $73.70 Plaque K Titus
The Acoustical Group $3850.00 Sound Panels Install/TDC

What are they hiding in unit 93??? More signs??? Pennies from the bed tax??? The old wooden signs??? Guns, ammo and liquor??? Tear gas for the next meeting???

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS IN UNIT #93

Bodies

What are they hiding in unit 93??? More signs??? Pennies from the bed tax??? The old wooden signs??? Guns, ammo and liquor??? Tear gas for the next meeting???

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS IN UNIT #93

That is where they store the previous board members that failed to understand the program.

What are they hiding in unit 93??? More signs??? Pennies from the bed tax??? The old wooden signs??? Guns, ammo and liquor??? Tear gas for the next meeting???

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS IN UNIT #93

Most likely the $7,000 worth of publications listed right above it.

That or it's Walton Counties version of area 51.