Okaloosa County has dramatically curbed the amount of bed tax money that will be awarded to organizations seeking funding for community events such as festivals, races and sports tournaments.
County commissioners have capped the amount at $20,000.
“There’s absolutely an effort right now to be very conservative with how those dollars are spent and provided,” County Administrator Jim Curry said.
The across-the-board reduction is part of an ongoing overhaul of the Tourism Development Department’s policies in the wake of the Mark Bellinger fraud scandal.
In May 2012, commissioners discovered that Bellinger, who was the executive director of the Tourist Development Council, had misused millions of dollars in bed tax money and BP grants. Some of that involved the haphazard funding of tourism-related events with little or no accounting of how the money was spent.
Now, individuals and groups seeking funding for an event must apply for the money at least 60 days before the event is scheduled. They also must provide a detailed report of the event’s past results, such as the number of participants and room nights it generated.
“We’ve defined the terms under which the TDD is going to award these things,” said Dan O’Byrne, director of the tourist development department. “We want to make sure we are actually getting something for our money.”
He said the new regulations are not an attempt to penalize any group, but the new process must be followed.
“They want people to come to their events, and so do I,” O’Byrne said. “If you want us to help, then you’re going to have to play ball.”
All groups must complete the new application and submit it to the TDC, which will evaluate the event and decide whether or not to recommend funding to county commissioners, who have final approval.
While he predicts that some organizations might be dismayed at the $20,000 cap, O’Byrne said he believes it’s a reasonable amount, given what the county’s been through in the past year.
“I think all of them understand the need for discipline,” he said. “Some time needs to pass and we need to show the public that we’re being good stewards of their money.”
O’Byrne stressed that $20,000 is the maximum amount of money available using a formula that calls for awarding $10 per room night generated by the event.
“It’s not like we’re handing out $20,000 to anyone who applies,” he added. “Conversely, if you’re bringing in 2,000 room nights … it’s real money to the community. It’s not like the arithmetic doesn’t work.”
Under the new regulations, bed tax money can be spent only on marketing and promotions or vendor-contracted host fees. Any other use of the funds is unauthorized.
O’Byrne and Curry agreed that the $20,000 could be increased in the future if county officials see fit.
“You’ve got a new (TDC) that will be convening and they’ll spend this year looking at those things and evaluating, and you could always have further changing,” Curry said.
Daily News Staff Writer Lauren Delgado can be reached at 850-315-4445 or ldelgado@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @LaurenDnwfdn.