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Tourist council delays votes on drilling and meeting facility study

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By TED JACKOVICS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 12, 2009

TAMPA - The Hillsborough County Tourist Development Council tabled two controversial issues Thursday until its February meeting.

One involved a proposal for the TDC to formally oppose off-shore drilling along the Gulf Coast. Council member and Tampa City councilman Linda Saul-Sena had proposed the stance against drilling that could have an impact on Florida tourism.

The second involved a proposal for a $185,000 follow-up study for the viability of multi-purpose facility for the Westshore area.

That report by PricewaterhouseCoopers would follow a $25,000 preliminary report the consultant prepared earlier this year on the feasibility for a facility that could serve Westshore hotels seeking additional space to recruit and hold meetings, conferences and other events.

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio in a letter dated Tuesday said if a facility were built, it should primarily be financed by the private sector.

"The idea that local government can be the primary funder of new initiatives such as the proposed Westshore Multi-Purpose Facility…is unrealistic and the next study phase should be grounded by this reality," Iorio said, after supporting continued study of the project.

Another unresolved issue is how such a facility would compete with the Tampa Convention Center.

TDC members discussed using reserves to fund a follow-up study from $933,000 in non-dedicated reserve funds, but that proposal failed in place of a motion to table the study proposal until February.

Contributing to concern over another study was a report that the TDC tourist tax revenue for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, which include collections for the 12 months ending in August, fell 13.5 percent compared with a year ago.

The 3 percent portion of the 5 percent tax collected on hotel and motel sales provided $11.1 million for marketing initiatives shared by Tampa Bay & Co., the county's visitors bureau, and various local enterprises that draw visitors, such as the Lowry Park zoo and the Tampa Bay History Center.

The fourth and fifth cents of the tax are used for debt services for Steinbrenner Field, Raymond James Stadium and the St. Pete Times Forum.

When tax revenue falls below annual projections, the bond payments are assured of being covered in full, but the marketing allotments are cut proportionately.

However, because the TDC foresaw the downturn in tourist tax revenue earlier this year and alerted designated recipients, none of the he groups using marketing funds were caught by surprise, said Gene Gray, Hillsborough's director of economic development.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817.

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