Two proposed bills in the Florida legislature threaten to eliminate local tourism funding, putting local service-related jobs at risk. In Putnam County, tourism officials told Action News Jax the bills could be detrimental to a county working to become a destination spot.
Putnam County isn’t a typical tourist hub, but events like the Blue Crab Festival and the Bassmasters Elite tournament—which drew 18,000 visitors in February—have helped boost its appeal.
But there’s a potential problem on the horizon.
“We can’t fund those events if we aren’t funded with the TDT [Tourism Development Tax],” said Kimberly Morgan.
Morgan, Vice President of the Putnam County Chamber of Commerce, is referring to HB1221 and HB7033. These bills could eliminate local tourism promotion by redirecting Tourist Development Tax revenues to property tax credits.
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In short, this means cuts to marketing budgets for businesses that rely on tourism dollars and even potential job losses in the tourism department.
“Statewide there is 2 million tourism jobs. So, 2 million people are in jeopardy of losing their jobs if this funding goes away,” said Morgan.
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HB 1221 is sponsored by Rep. Monique Miller (R - Palm Bay).
“Tourists flock here to spend their money,” Miller told the House State Affairs Committee. “This bill gives local governments more control over these taxes and the power to use tax revenues to make Florida more affordable for its residents,” Miller said. “People are losing their homes. We have to bring them relief. This is a way to bring them immediate relief.”
Morgan explained why tourism dollars impact everyone.
“The reason that Florida doesn’t have an income tax is because of tourism. It’s the one that residents don’t pay—visitors pay this tax,” Morgan added.
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These proposed bills wouldn’t have the same impact on larger counties. According to Florida’s Historic Coast, tourists in St. Johns County spend a total of $2.5 billion, creating a $3.8 billion annual economic impact for the area.
In Putnam County, tourism brought in $87.7 million.
But with potential marketing cuts, small businesses in Putnam won’t get the promotion push from their tourism department.
“If they don’t have the shoppers coming in from out of town, then those businesses could suffer,” said Morgan.
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Both bills are set to come up for Florida House votes on Friday.
Florida’s economy heavily relies on tourism, making it the state’s largest industry. That’s why local tourism departments say they’re strongly opposed to both bills.
“The investment that tourism brings to Putnam County it saves the Putnam County resident almost $400 in annual tax savings,” according to Morgan.
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