Subject:
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Appointments to the Tourist Development Council (Board of County Commissioners as a whole).
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Recommended Action:
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Appoint one applicant to the Tourist Development Council for a term of four years beginning on June 23, 2025. This is an appointment by the Board of County Commissioners as a whole.
• Mr. Clyde Smith is the current appointee by the Commission and serves in the Hotel/Motel Category on the Tourist Development Council. Mr. Smith is eligible for reappointment.
• All applicants’ names for this position can be viewed on the attached ballot.
Appoint Oldsmar Mayor Katie Gannon who was nominated by the Mayors’ Council of Pinellas to serve as the elected official representative from a municipality that is not otherwise enumerated in the Pinellas County Code of Ordinances to serve on the Tourist Development Council.
• The Mayors’ Council e-mail correspondence stating their intent to nominate Mayor Katie Gannon is attached to this agenda item.
• Mayor Gannon’s term will begin on the date of appointment (June 17, 2025) and be for four years.
• The Clerk will disseminate the ballots.
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Background Information:
The Tourist Development Council (TDC) makes recommendations to the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) for the effective operation of tourism-related special projects and uses of the tourist development tax revenue and may perform such other duties prescribed by law. The TDC must continuously review all expenditures of tourist development tax, make expenditure reports (at least quarterly), and report any expenditures believed to be unauthorized under the law to the BCC and Department of Revenue (DOR).
The Tourist Development Council is composed of 12 voting members appointed by the BCC and one non-voting member, as follows:
- The Chair of the BCC or any other County Commissioner designated by the chair to serve as the Chair of the TDC.
- Four elected municipal officials:
- One from the most populous municipality in Pinellas County.
- One from the municipality in which the greatest percentage of tourist development tax revenue is generated in Pinellas County.
- One form among the cities of Belleair Beach, Belleair Shores, Indian Rocks Beach, Indian Shores, Madeira Beach, North Redington Beach, Redington Beach, Redington Shores, St. Pete Beach and Treasure Island; and
- One from a city in Pinellas County that is not specifically named above.
- Seven members of the council must be person who are involved in the tourist industry and who have demonstrated an interest in tourist development, of which not less than three nor more than four members shall be owners or operators of motels, hotels, recreation vehicle parks, or other tourist accommodations in the County and subject to tax.
- The Vice Chair of the BCC acting as an ex-officio non-voting member (pursuant to TDC bylaws).
All members of the Tourist Development Council must be electors of Pinellas County. The members of the council serve for staggered terms of four years.
Attachments:
Press Release
Board Roster
TDC Appointment Memo
Applications/Resumes for Hotel/Motel Category
E-mail re: Mayors’ Council Nomination
Application - Katie Gannon - Mayors’ Council Nominee
TDC Appointments Ballot
Partner(s):
Brian Lowack, President & CEO of Visit St. Pete Clearwater