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St. Lucie bed tax to drop for January
By Jim Reeder, Palm Beach Post
Staff Writer FORT PIERCE - St. Lucie County visitors will get a bargain of sorts if they stay at a local hotel in January. The county's bed tax will drop by 1 cent for that month only thanks to a provision of state law, County Attorney Dan McIntyre told the Tourist Development Council. One cent of the county's 4-cent bed tax expires Dec. 31. County commissioners are expected to readopt the tax this month. But state law says it can't go into effect until the first day of the second month after adoption, in this case - Feb. 1. Businesses that collect the tax will have to make some adjustments. "I'll have to reset the computers to deal with the different rate," Council member Marilyn Minix, owner of Road Runner Travel Resort, said. Tax Collector Bob Davis said he'll send letters to hotels, motels and RV parks telling them not to collect it in January. The temporary tax cut will mean about a $52,000 loss for the county, which collects about $1.4 million per year. Council members voted unanimously Wednesday to recommend the tax be reimposed and that an additional fifth cent of tax be added to visitors' bills in February. County Administrator Doug Anderson
recommends the additional money be used for renovations at Thomas J. White
Stadium, additional tourist promotions and to help finance Dreams Park
South, a proposed 14-field youth baseball complex. |
