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lenzoe

Beach Fanatic
BP has a nationwide ad out touting the great advantages of vacations on the Gulf and Emerald Coast. Dawn Moliterno is a part of that ad. It is effective and says what needs to be emphasize to attract visitors to our area. We should let others do the advertising of the area while the TDC concentrates on supporting those visitors arriving or already here.

Andy, what do you mean by letting others do the advertising? I saw the BP ads (repeatedly) and I agree they were good ads and I would think they were pretty effective. But I think that add money is coming to an end. Are you suggesting Walton County hire BP to do its marketing? :)
 

Zebraspots

Beach Fanatic
May 15, 2008
840
247
Santa Rosa Beach
First let me say that I certainly don't know what all the TDC does, this is just my impression:

The beach accesses and cleanup are something I know helps tourism. Many other places have trashy beaches. Clean gorgeous beaches ARE our economy - we saw that during the spill. This is money well spent and with little waste as far as I can see. The flag system is easy to understand and very helpful. It is rare for me to go to an access and find it is in bad condition. Essential service, though they need to stop putting up more and bigger signs.

When I attend events I will hear that the TDC provided some funds and is being thanked, see their ads in the programs, and see them escorting around VIPs. I do not know the extent of their involvement in planning, but at the events it seems to be mostly them enjoying the events. Question the value of most of the boozing and schmoozing, but know this is typical in marketing and will not change (because I watch Mad Men :D).

The current TDC visitor center is not good. A visitor center that visitors cannot easily access is one of the stupider things I can think of, but a welcome center where you are not welcomed and the bathrooms are always dark and dirty runs a close second. I definitely think a new building in a better location is a must, but after seeing the level of public disgust with the renderings and location I am worried this is well on the way to being yet another expensive mistake.

Aside from that, most of what I am aware of them doing seems to involve wasting a great deal of money on some really stupid stuff and having little oversight. In the past few years we have had the big blue sign debacle, the branding debacle, the song debacle, and now the forest debacle. Considering their primary job is PR and marketing, these really makes me wonder how good they are at their job.

They say the current TDC building is 9,000 square feet, and that is too small. What exactly are they doing that they need so much space?
 

buster

Beach Fanatic
Feb 19, 2006
285
47
SoWal
I think debacle is a bit strong. But seems like if they engaged locals a bit more they could avoid egg on the face. 90% of what they do is pretty normal stuff. Making omelets? The Tdc does not escort VIPs - just a few out of town press from time to time who are writing free articles about the area. I agree with you about clean beaches. I encourage you to take a tour of the current facility. Half is office and the other half is storage, welcome area, meeting space, etc. Tailwagger summed it up pretty well above. I do not want more signs!
 

buster

Beach Fanatic
Feb 19, 2006
285
47
SoWal
What is the Tourist Development Tax?

The Tourist Development Tax is a local sales tax, authorized and governed by Florida Statute 125.0104, on transient rentals. Because it applies exclusively to rental of living quarters or accommodations for a term of six months or less, it has been nicknamed the “bed tax.”

In Walton County, the Tourist Development Tax rate is 4.5% and applies to rentals of properties located south of the Intracoastal Waterway. This area includes Hwy. 30-A, Hwy. 98, Emerald Coast Parkway, Scenic Gulf Drive, and all of Walton County’s beaches south of Choctawhatchee Bay.

After administrative costs, the revenue from the 4.5% Tourist Development Tax is used as follows: 2% for marketing/promotion and beach maintenance, 1% for Autumn Tides Fall promotion and new product development, 1% for beach nourishment and restoration, and 0.5% to bring low-cost air travel to our area, thereby expanding our markets. The Tourist Development Council oversees the expenditures of the tax and reports to the Walton County Board of County Commisioners.

Managers of rental properties and owners who manage their own rentals are responsible for collecting, accounting for, and remitting Tourist Development Tax from their guests to the Walton County Clerk of Court. Remittance is normally due monthly, but seasonal rentals and individual rental owners may qualify to file quarterly.

Online registration and filing are available at www.touristtax.com/Walton . If you prefer to register manually, please click here for a printable form. Please click here for a blank payment coupon. The address for contacting us is:

Walton County Clerk of Court
Attention: Tourist Development Tax
31 Coastal Centre Blvd, Suite 500
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
Telephone: (850) 267-2040
Fax: (850) 267-1335
E-Mail: sunjoyce@co.walton.fl.us

What are the rules for collecting and remitting the Tourist Development Tax?

Tourist Development Tax returns are due on the 1st of the month following the end of the collection period and delinquent if postmarked after the 20th. When the 20th falls on a Saturday, Sunday or county/state/federal holiday, the postmark deadline shall be the next business day.

Pursuant to Florida Statute 212.12, managers / owners are permitted to keep a collection allowance of 2.5% of the tax collected, up to a maximum of $30.00, if their return is postmarked timely. If a return is delinquent, the collection allowance may not be taken and penalty and interest will be due. The penalty is 10% of the tax due, with a minimum penalty of $50.00. Interest accrues daily at a variable rate established by the Florida Department of Revenue. If noncompliance continues, collection action is taken as outlined in the Florida Statutes.

Managers / owners are also required to keep all records associated with rental revenue, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, for a period of three years. These records must be made available for audit upon 60 days notice from the Walton County Clerk of Court.

Exemptions from the Tourist Development Tax

If a written lease for a term of more than six months was signed at the beginning of the rental, that tenant is exempt from paying Tourist Development Tax. Six-month leases and month-to-month rentals are subject to the tax. If a monthly tenant stays longer than six months, they become exempt beginning with the seventh month.

Also, rentals made for business purposes by governments or non-profit organizations may be exempt if certain conditions are met. Examples of tax-exempt rentals and your requirements for exempting these rentals may be obtained from the Florida Department of Revenue or the Walton County Clerk of Court.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Tourist Development Tax

Question: Are there other taxes I must collect on my rentals?
Answer: Yes. In addition to the Tourist Development Tax, you must collect and remit state sales tax (currently 6%) and local sales tax (currently 1%) to the Florida Department of Revenue. The total tax to charge your guests is currently 11.5%. You may register online with the Florida Department of Revenue at http://www.myflorida.com/dor/eservices/apps/register/.

Question: I manage my own rental property, but I reside in another county or state and none of the money for my rentals changes hands in Walton County. Are my rentals still subject to these taxes?
Answer: Yes, they are. Taxability is based upon the location of the rental property, not the location of the financial transaction.

Question: I rent my property on the Internet. I have heard that Internet sales are not taxable.
Answer: While there may be circumstances where sales of personal property via the Internet are not subject to tax, the Florida Statutes are very clear that all rentals of accommodations in the State of Florida are subject to applicable taxes.

Question: All of my rentals are handled by a property management company. What are my Tourist Development Tax responsibilities?
Answer: If your property management company is collecting and remitting tax for all of your property’s rentals under their Tourist Development Tax ID number, you are not required to file your own returns (although you may still need to register with the Florida Department of Revenue). However, if you personally collect rental revenue or any other form of compensation from any of your guests, you must collect and remit the taxes for those stays. Also, please be aware that, under Florida law, property owners are ultimately responsible for sales taxes if a property manager defaults or fails to collect or remit the tax.

Question: My property is used by friends and relatives at times during the year. Am I required to collect the Tourist Development Tax from them?
Answer: If you collect rent from them, or accept any other compensation in lieu of rent, you are required to collect and remit Tourist Development Tax based upon the rent paid or upon the fair market value of the compensation received. If compensation is not received nor expected from your friends or relatives, you should be sure to document that in your records in case of audit.

Question: My guests must pay a cleaning fee in addition to their rent. Is the cleaning fee taxable?
Answer: Anything that the guest is required to pay as a condition of occupying the property is subject to the Tourist Development Tax. Common examples include (but are not limited to) cleaning fees, reservation/processing fees, amenities fees, and nonrefundable pet deposits. The primary exception is refundable damage deposits. In addition, if you provide extra furnishings upon request for an additional fee (for example, cribs, rollaways, etc.), that charge is also subject to the Tourist Development Tax.

Question: I have rental property in other counties in Florida. How do I determine if my other rentals are subject to a Tourist Development Tax, and if so, who do I contact?
Answer: Most Florida counties do impose a Tourist Development Tax on transient rentals. The counties that self-administer the tax belong to the Florida Tourist Development Tax Association, Inc. (FTDTA). You may visit the directory on the FTDTA’s website at http://www.ftdta.org/regions.htm . If no contacts are listed for the county your property is in, please check with the Florida Department of Revenue as they collect the Tourist Development Tax for many of the smaller counties.

Question: I have been renting for some time now, but was not aware of my responsibility to collect and remit Tourist Development Tax. I’d like to begin complying, but I am afraid that I have a large tax liability.
Answer: Depending on the circumstances, there are several ways that a rental owner or manager making a voluntary disclosure of a tax liability can minimize their past amount due. Please be assured that we will work with you in order to bring your property into compliance.

Our goal is to assist rental owners and managers of properties in Walton County in fulfilling their statutory responsibilities through collector education and voluntary compliance. For additional information, please contact:

Walton County Clerk of Court
Tourist Development Tax
31 Coastal Centre Blvd., Suite 500
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
Telephone: (850) 267-2040
Fax: (850) 267-1335
E-Mail: sunjoyce@co.walton.fl.us
or
penwilliam@co.walton.fl.us
 

buster

Beach Fanatic
Feb 19, 2006
285
47
SoWal
South Walton TDC Annual Report 2011-2012

A lot of good info available online that never used to be available, or not easily available at least. I think a lot of questions can be answered by spending a little time on the partner's site - www.visitsouthwalton.org.

Our TDC has come a long way and there have been some growing pains. The current leadership may not do everything right but they are getting things done. The numbers speak for themselves. I hear people say that they should do more maintenance type stuff and less advertising and marketing. BP money may have tilted that some for a time but it has also freed up more money for care taking.

From the site:

Easy access to pristine beaches is one of the primary reasons visitors return to South Walton. On behalf of Walton County and the TDC’s lodging partners, the beach maintenance division cleans South Walton’s 26 miles of beach 365 days a year, which includes maintaining over 470 trash receptacles and 65 beach and bay accesses.

Specifically, the beach management and maintenance division completed the following items in 2010-11:

  • Re-built and enhanced numerous beach accesses, including: Sea Breeze, Shell Seekers, Dothan, Santa Clara and Beachside Villas and Inlet Beach regional access, which was destroyed by a dune fire in May.
  • Re-built and enhanced the Cessna Bay and Point Washington boat ramps.
  • Built a new developer-funded Lupin beach access.
  • Completed new storm water improvements and parking lot for the Bayou Arts Council facility located on Highway 393 North.
  • Removed and repainted all way finding signs along 30A and collector roads to reflect new brand.
  • Worked in cooperation with government agencies related to the Natural Resources Disaster Recovery Act (NRDA), designed to restore those areas affected by the BP Horizon incident in 2010.
  • Partnered with the South Walton Community Council to promote and implement the July 5th Beach Cleanup, and spearheaded the International Coastal Cleanup in South Walton in September.
  • South Walton Turtle Watch during the turtle nesting season for the summer of 2011, identified and protected a total of 35 sea turtle nests on Walton County beaches. Of these 33 of these nests were Loggerhead, one green and one possible Kemp’s.
 

buster

Beach Fanatic
Feb 19, 2006
285
47
SoWal
Mission Statement
The mission of the South Walton County Tourist Development Council is to direct and manage activities that will strengthen the position of the South Walton brand in the tourism marketplace, in order to increase the tourism economy of Walton County. The TDC will manage and maintain our beaches as a primary attraction and serve as a responsible industry organization to take a leadership role in addressing issues that affect tourism and the quality of life in Walton County.
 

Truman

Beach Fanatic
Apr 3, 2009
650
270
Good discussion! I'm thinking the focus needs to be on building the beaches, another storm or 2 and we won't have any left. Even a small storm will eat in to the dunes. No beaches means no tourism. WHere are we with getting sand on to the beaches?
 

Truman

Beach Fanatic
Apr 3, 2009
650
270
Found this on the above link, maybe Brad can give us an update.

South Walton’s beaches are unquestionably the destination’s most valuable asset. Though no major storms have occurred since 2005, it is imperative to maintain an ongoing nourishment plan to remain eligible for federal funding. In conjunction with consultant, Seahaven Consulting, the following items were accomplished in 2010-2011:


Continued to monitor changes to the Western Walton County Beach Restoration Project completed in 2007. Three years of post-construction monitoring reveals:


The project is performing very well with 89% of the volume of sand that was placed during construction remaining in the project limits.


The monitoring of the borrow site where the sand came from shows no negative impacts from removal of the offshore sand to the nearby shorelines.


The project has met or exceeded all criteria regarding aesthetics and habitat restoration.


Data collection was once again completed in June and July 2011 to be able to document the State of the Beach in the event of a future hurricane. Data collected includes aerial video, ground photography, and surveying of the Western Walton County Beach Restoration Project. To date, no post-storm monitoring has been necessary.
The Walton County Federal Shore Protection Project Feasibility Study continued in 2010-11 and is approaching a major milestone. The TDC successfully worked with Marlowe & Company, our federal lobbyists, to ensure that funding is available to continue the study.


In 2010-11, the TDC was able to utilize funding from three grants secured in 2004, 2006 and 2007 to cost-share beach management activities. This year, the TDC also requested additional grant funding for the ongoing monitoring of the Western Walton County Beach Restoration Project, and to assist in the cost sharing of the Federal Shore Protection Project Feasibility Study.
 

Grayton Girl

Beach Fanatic
Jul 5, 2005
361
299
Sowal
One issue that often arises is in areas that the County doesn't own or have easements for. If the County doesn't own the land or have an easement, the County would have to buy the land as it is illegal to purchase land with TDC dollars. The TDC owns no properties.

I take issue with the statement that "it is illegal to purchase land with TDC dollars...."

The statute, Florida Statute 125.0104, contains no provision stating that it is illegal to purchase land with TDC dollars.

In fact, there is an Attorney General Opinion from the State of Florida that specifically answers the question:
May tourist development tax revenues be utilized to purchase beachfront land to be used as an additional public preservation and recreation area? The answer, plainly stated, is Yes!

As the opinion states: Tourist development tax revenues may be used to purchase beachfront land in Collier County if the county commission makes the requisite findings that this expenditure will promote tourism within the county
or that the purchase of this parcel will improve, maintain, or restore the beach park. AGO 2001-42. http://www.myfloridalegal.com/ago.nsf/Opinions/6D347C95DA3AAE4A85256A70005249FD

Furthermore, the TDC is advisory, and the County Commission has the last say on how TDC funds are spent. In other words, if the County Commission finds that an expenditure promotes tourism, then the county can use TDC funds for that purpose, regardless of whether the TDC advises otherwise. AGO 92-34. http://www.myfloridalegal.com/ago.nsf/Opinions/74A57644F78061EE852562A70055A98B


(See, Ops. Att'y Gen. Fla. 98-74 (1998), 97-48 (1997), 92-66 (1992), 87-16 (1987), concluding that a determination of whether a project is tourist related and furthers such primary purpose is a factual determination which must be made by the legislative and governing body of the county founded upon appropriate legislative findings and due consideration of the peculiar and prevailing local conditions and needs.)

Not only are there Attorney General Opinions on this topic, but there are many newspaper articles around the state that discuss how beach properties and accesses have been purchased using TDC dollars. For instance, Lee County (Ft. Myers) purchased a substantial beach front property last year using TDC tax funds. The property is now called Crescent Beach Family Park.
http://www.fortmyersbeachtalk.com/page/content.detail/id/512558/Park-open-as-Lee-Parks-director-informs-chamber.html?nav=5051


Florida Statute 125.0104 can be viewed at: http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/filestores/web/statutes/fs07/CH0125/Section_0125.0104.HTM

The statutory language, paired with the legal interpretation of Florida's Attorney General, allows for land purchases and capital expenditures as long as the County Commission can make the finding that the expenditure promotes tourism within the county. TDC funds are being used to purchase lands all over Florida. Those lands are not "owned" by the TDC, but are rather owned by the County that made the purchase using the TDC funds. Obviously, TDC funds should not be a "grab bag" or a "go to" fund for all tourist-related needs (as the county has separate obligations to the citizens as well), but if a careful consideration is made that the TDC funds are appropriate for an expenditure, then the funds can be used.
 
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seal

Beach Lover
Apr 17, 2006
182
48
Those manning those kiosks would provide a smile, a hearty welcome the the beaches of South Walton and friendly information on the "do's" and "don'ts" regarding our beaches and Dune Lakes.


The role of the TDC should change I strongly believe. It should be smaller, less focused on advertising and more focused on its availabilty to those who arrive here. This is only one man's thoughts and I await to hear what others will express.

Amen.

The TDC in Walton should be much smaller, no advertising, have a great website, and welcome and guide the guests who are here. TDC in Okaloosa should be disbanded; lots of rats running for cover over there. Okaloosa is trying their best to push that fiasco under the rug.

People have been coming here long before the TDC was around. If the TDC in Walton or Okaloosa was disbanded, people would still come down in droves. It's not about the TDC, it is, and always has been about the beaches, the fishing, the related sports, and the R&R.

To answer the question, NO, we don't need a TDC.
 
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