- The tourist development tax, or bed tax, is a 5% tax on rentals or leases of six months or less.
ALIGNING WITH KOHLER?
Board member Jim Reeves wanted the TDC to be in sync with the Board of County Commissioners.
The Gen. Daniel “Chappie” James Jr. Memorial Foundation has requested $1 million to help with construction. The TDC had previously approved $750,000, pending an Attorney General’s opinion on whether the use fit state law. Escambia County Commission Chairman Mike Kohler told the News Journal that he will ask the county commission to prove the $1 million for the project.
“I had a discussion with the chairman of the county commission, and he told me that this matter was on the agenda for the county commission…I just don’t like the county commission moving forward with an appropriation that this board had to prove.”
He added, “If we’re going to approve it before it goes to the county commission, then a motion to make it $1 million would probably be in order because you’ve been asking for this money for a long time.”
Foundation chairman Cris Dosev explained that rising costs for concrete and steel had necessitated the increased funding request. The project has already raised $1.3 million privately, and an additional $1 million is needed to complete construction. The memorial would include an 80-foot flagpole and be elevated to protect against storm surge.
Board member Jason Nicholson raised concerns about the project’s tourism impact, noting it would need to generate over 141,000 new room nights to justify the investment. “Will the plaza generate 142,000 incremental room nights over its life?”
The decision largely hinged on legal interpretations of Florida’s tourist development tax statute. An Attorney General’s letter indicated that plaza construction may not be an eligible use of these funds, though tourism promotion of the completed memorial would be permitted.
TDC Chairman David Bear noted the Attorney General did not issue a formal opinion because “they still need more information related to the ownership if it is going to be a publicly-owned facility.” He added, “In the letter, the attorney general states that the (Chappie James) Plaza is not one of the items that listed in the statute as eligible for funding for construction.”
- Reeves, father of Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves, said, “They have an agreement with the City of Pensacola, and the mayor has indicated that if the county commits to spending the money, then he will do the work to amend the agreement to fit the Attorney General’s opinion. But he basically said, ‘I’m not going to put it on my legal staff to work out all that if you ain’t going to appropriate the money.’ So it’s a chicken-or-egg situation.”
Board member Mitesh Patel said the commissioners don’t need the TDC approval of the $1 million. “Whether we recommend it or not, the Board of County Commissioners can do as they wish. So even if we don’t recommend it, they can still go to the Board of County Commissioners, and they’ll still decide how they want to decide.”
Bear agreed, “Our policy is that it has to come to this board for consideration before it goes to the county commission. That doesn’t mean it has to be approved by this board before it goes to the county commission.”
County Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger serves on the TDC board and said the commissioners respect the TDC’s opinions. “So we do take it into consideration. So it’s not like it’s a moot point. So if you say, ‘Hey, we don’t recommend giving above the $750,000, or we do recommend giving a million dollars,’ that’s going to be what carries the most weight with the board when we go to vote on it.”
The motion to increase funding to $1 million failed 7-2 with Reeves and Hofferber voting for the motion.
HEROES VS FLORIDA LAW
After the vore, Dosev, a veteran himself, made an impassioned plea about the importance of honoring military heroes like General James, who served 35 years and participated in three wars before passing away shortly after retirement in 1978. “Americans do not forget their heroes.”
- “We are not trying to conflate the two issues,” said TDC Chairman David Bear. “General James was a local hero, and we appreciate his service… But we are obligated to follow the laws written by the Florida legislature.”
Board member Charles Bare, also a veteran, voiced his support for the memorial project but felt compelled to ensure proper funding mechanisms were used. “I have great respect for General James. and I want that plaza, wherever we’re going to call it, to be there.”
- However, Bare said, “I think about the limited dollars we have for tourism development… I just don’t think this is the right source for the funding.”
He moved to rescind the $750,000 for the memorial project, which he later agreed to amend to include an economic impact study through the Haas Center to evaluate the memorial’s potential tourism benefits. The motion passed 8-1, with Reeves dissenting.
AFTERMATH
Several TDC board members commented at the end of the meeting about the final vote.
Jason Nicholson: “I also honor the General Chappie James Memorial, and I want to see this done. I echo Major Dosev’s sentiment that the most honorable in our society are those that are willing to raise their right hand and defend our culture and our homeland. Unfortunately, this is not, in my opinion, the right source for the funding, but I’m certain that this community can rally behind this initiative and find the right bank for the money.”
Jennifer Brahier: “It is always very difficult to vote against anything veteran within this because it is such an important part of this community. And once again, I also would like to support that. I would like to see this come to fruition just through the proper source.”
Ashlee Hofberger: “My husband’s an Army veteran as well, so making sure that we honor that part of their American culture is also very important to me. And maybe the Haas study will come back with additional information that we’ll be able to act on as well. So looking forward to being able to review that and just thank you guys for a very collaborative meeting.”
Jim Reeves: “Well, I just want to thank everybody for the support they gave you tonight, but I do want to say that whether we gave the monument $750,000 or $1 million, personally, I don’t have a dog in that fight other than the guy’s a hero. When this first came to this board, you, Mr. Chairman, insisted on attorney’s general’s opinion, and to me, it’s just been delayed and fooled around with. So I think we ought to either set it or forget it. It just keeps coming back and it keeps coming back. So whether we did the $750,000 or whether we did the million or we did zero, which is what we did, I just want to see what the county commission does because you can’t have the collection of tourism dollars without having us. But if all we’re going to do is talk about it and then the commission can do whatever they want to do, then to me, we waste an awful lot of time.”
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