“I’ve been getting emails that are telling me that if we pass the bed tax increase then people will stop coming here because the rates will be too high and all the businesses will shut down and we’ll all go away, and I’ve been getting emails that say that if we don’t pass the bed tax increase then people won’t know about us and we’ll all just wither away and all the businesses will shut down – so, I don’t know what’s going to happen," said Jerry Girvin, Chairman of the Bay County Commission.

“It’s just not the right time to be doing this, I don’t believe it is the right thing to do." – George Gainer, commissioner.

Girvin and Gainer were the two that opposed the bed tax increase this morning.  At the beginning, Girvin said he wasn’t sure how he was going to decide when it came time to vote.  Mike Thomas, sensing uncertainty in the air urged that they vote on the 4th cent and table the 5th so as to provide more time for other board members to learn more about the issues at hand.  The 4th cent only required a majority vote, whereas the 5th required a super majority or 4 of the 5 members.

When it came time to vote for the 4th cent, Dozier, Thomas and Nelson voted yes, while Girvin and Gainer voted no, passing the 4th cent.  They all agreed to table the 5th until next month’s meeting.

Commissioners, you did a very great thing today in passing the 4th cent.  We now have the money to broaden our marketing efforts and increase our feeder market potential.  We now will have the marketing dollars to draw new vistors to our area that previously had not known we were here.  That is important, very important.

However, there is still another very important decision to be made.  We need the 5th cent.  We have to improve our sporting and special events facilities.  We have good business that will leave us if we don’t improve.  There are thousands of athletes that are counting on the improvement of our area so that they can continue to come back here in the future.  There are hundreds of condo owners that rely on this business every year.  Pier Park and other shops and restaurants in Panama City Beach rely on this business to give then a shot in the arm during tournament season.

I don’t think you truly understand how big this business is or how important this particular issue is. I urge you and encourage you to do your homework before the next meeting so that you fully understand the issue at hand.  In the mean time, I’ll get with the TDC and Richard Sanders and try and get a clear picture and post it here on pcbdaily.

On another note, technology was in my favor today and I was doing updates via Twitter all morning during the meeting.  I say technology was in my favor, but actually, my phone did crash towards the end but came back up after only 20 minutes of suspense!  argh

Enjoy the tweets (note, I’m sorry if the formating seems rough and unprofessional below, but there are so many of them, I just don’t have the energy to dress it up, but I wanted you to see all the commentary):

Dozier supports it. The fourth will pass. Will the fifth….. Gervin? about 5 hours ago from txt
5th cent tabled along with the development plan for 2009 about 5 hours ago from txt
Girven voted no on 4th. Three voted yes so it passed about 5 hours ago from txt
Thomas for it, hopes it all passes about 5 hours ago from txt
Thomas says that if we do nothing it will be the greatest mistake they’ve made. about 5 hours ago from txt
Thomas asks to table the 5th cent until the feb meeting about 5 hours ago from txt
Says the experts are telling us to do this- why don’t we listen about 5 hours ago from txt
Mike thomas asked if there was a dr – he’s about to have a stroke about 5 hours ago from txt
Dozier talking. Says people don’t care about a 2 cent tax about 5 hours ago from txt
Girven not totally committed which way he’s going to come down. about 5 hours ago from txt
Also said that if we keep the fee where it is, people won’t come down here and we’ll go broke about 5 hours ago from txt
Said that if we raise the fee people will go elsewhere and we’ll go broke. about 5 hours ago from txt
Chairman girven talking now. Has heard from a lot of people that were not happy about 5 hours ago from txt
Nelson rebuts. We’ve got to get our name out there. about 5 hours ago from txt
Gainer still opposed about 5 hours ago from txt
Gainer talking. Keeps comparing to his car business. It just isn’t applicable. Give it up george! about 5 hours ago from txt
Motion to pass the 4th. And … Discussion about 5 hours ago from txt Nelson says we need to listen to the tdc and that they know the issues about 5 hours ago from txt We need three of five for the 4th and four of five for the 5th about 5 hours ago from txt Says bed tax increase is from the tdc doing its job. That they have been making great progress about 5 hours ago from txt Says tdc is not perfect. There are collection issues that will be addressed about 5 hours ago from txt Commissioner nelson talking now about 5 hours ago from txt Closed public hearing about 5 hours ago from txt Says the businesses should pay for their own advertising about 5 hours ago from txt Ron shranger. Doesn’t oppose advertising but opposes the way we want to pauy for it about 5 hours ago from txt He is not for eliminating college break all together but taking ot out in phases about 5 hours ago from txt Mark canfora up. Infinity blu. Says this market is the number one area for growth about 5 hours ago from txt Phone crashed, back up now. Julie hilton, russ smith spoke about 6 hours ago from txt We spent the money on frank brown and it worked. We spend the money on more and it will work. about 6 hours ago from txt Owns a small business and said his business grew when he spent money on it. Supports the increase about 6 hours ago from txt Bill mcneil pres of bay co chamber. Supports the 2 cent increase. about 6 hours ago from txt Wishes we could move away from spring break quicker but glad we are moving away about 6 hours ago from txt Peter bruchae is up. Hates spring break and agrees that we have moved away from it. about 6 hours ago from txt Said if we had to go to 15 percent- anything to get our area more discovered. about 6 hours ago from txt Says we can’t go backwards. We’ve got the development, now we have to tell people about it. about 6 hours ago from txt Knows we exist. Many from back home would like it down here. about 6 hours ago from txt Ben kernun is talking. From northeast and says that very few people that he knows back home about 6 hours ago from txt We can only do it with more money about 6 hours ago from txt Leanne leonard from by the sea. Says we need to attract more visitors and. . . about 6 hours ago from txt Julie hilton is here, waiting to see her go up- she is not for the increase. about 6 hours ago from txt Said it would be a stimulus to our area. about 6 hours ago from txt Beth oltman beach chamber pres supports strongly the increase from a business owner position about 6 hours ago from txt 14000 weddings in the panhandle- avg $25k per. We can frow that is people knew about us. about 6 hours ago from txt Says tdc is only promoting bringing spring breakers here. Not a very good argument- nor very educated about 6 hours ago from txt With increased marketing $$ we can brand our destination is a broader scope of markets about 6 hours ago from txt Joanne banks with diva productions up. about 6 hours ago from txt Joy wants lifeguards and no underage drinking and for this to be a family destination- totally agree about 6 hours ago from txt Joy carlisle- feels like the tdc is throwing money away about 6 hours ago from txt Opening up for public comment about 6 hours ago from txt Dan rowe back up- said this year is the first that we are actively promoting family spring break about 6 hours ago from txt No vote puts us in a position to fail, yes vote puts us in a position to succeed about 6 hours ago from txt Less than 2 percent have asked what the tax rate is. He has polled those calling his rental business. about 6 hours ago from txt Do we want to support growth or do we step aside and just see what happens. about 6 hours ago from txt Bill dozier left, bathroom? about 6 hours ago from txt He says that this is something that we should have done four years ago about 6 hours ago from txt If we don’t have the ability to gain more visitors then how can we fill all the new opportunity about 6 hours ago from txt Worried that we will have a bad rental year. We need more marketing dollars now. about 6 hours ago from txt Marty mcdaniel speaking now representing 2000 units in pcb about 7 hours ago from txt Mexico beach is taling now- they are hurting and need more money "work like hell and advertise" about 7 hours ago from txt They did it despite immense public scrutiny because there was a need. about 7 hours ago from txt Buddy is comparing the bed tax increase to the county’s building their new facilities. about 7 hours ago from txt Southern living full page ad is over $100,000. Holy cow. about 7 hours ago from txt Buddy wilkes speaking now. about 7 hours ago from txt Says needs 2 pennies. Has to drive people to pier park and the new 6000 rooms. about 7 hours ago from txt Mike bennett is talking now. He agrees with the increase but his dad doesn’t totally about 7 hours ago from txt Patronis says our neighbors have more money than we do. We are not competitive about 7 hours ago from txt Patronis is focusing attention on gainer about 7 hours ago from txt 4th cent for marketing only. about 7 hours ago from txt Yonnie patronis is talking now. Urging the 5th cent for sports marketing. about 7 hours ago from txt Thomas… Said the auto industry (gainer) has gotten plenty about 7 hours ago from txt Mike thomas asked if there had been a bailout planned for the tourism industry about 7 hours ago from txt Has cut spring break funding eaxh year. about 7 hours ago from txt I highly doubt we’ll get the vote of george gainer. He very much disagrees with raising any tax about 7 hours ago from txt Just reported that they would like to see the entire funding for spring break to come from coop about 7 hours ago from txt Increase in marketing budget by more than double. about 7 hours ago from txt Increase is the same cost for someone staying a week as two value meals at zaxby’s about 7 hours ago from txt 7 out of 10 housholds in the us are planning to travel in the next 6 months. But they will travel differently. about 8 hours ago from txt Why now? He says that we are at a severe disadvantage with lowest marketing budget . . . about 8 hours ago from txt Lowest budget in florida for destinations about 8 hours ago from txt Peter yesawich is presenting now. about 8 hours ago from txt We just took a break, the are calling everyone to order. My prediction. . . about 8 hours ago from txt My prediction is the the commission will approve the fourth cent not the fifth about 8 hours ago from txt Bay county commission meeting for the bed tax increase – Photo: http://bkite.com/03Tgz about 8 hours ago from Brightkite Ok, meeting is flying by. Tdc tax rate is next on the agenda. about 8 hours ago from txt Looking around, it would seem that many have left-it doesn’t seem as packed as it did 30 minutes ago about 8 hours ago from txt Some seats still available, but pretty packed. about 8 hours ago from txt Tdc bed tax increase last on agenda. Going to be a long meeting. about 9 hours ago from txt