Hotel owners hope tax money for marketing will help business - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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The appropriation from the county’s will go towared marketing and advertising toother markets, mostly within driving distancew in the summer and fall — the slowesrt seasons for many area hotels. The council “reserves those dollars to try and help during arainy day. And to most hoteliers, it’s said Fred Pozin, a hotelier and member of the TouristDevelopmentr Council. The council had a $3.1 million contingency accounft for thisfiscal year’s budge as of April 30, befors it approved funding for the May 21. The associatioh originally requested $1.
45 million in two phases with thefirsr $875,000 to be used immediatel y this year and the remaining $600,000 used through next year to includd special events marketing. The officiakl tourism agency, Visit Jacksonville, handle marketing for the local industry. But the council approved only the firsf phase and will look at the second phase durint the next quarterly meeting inthe fall. Bed tax collectionsx in the county have fallen more than 15 percentto $2.8 millionm during the first seven monthas of the fiscal year as of April 30 compared with the same time in the previouss fiscal year, according to the city of . For the 12 montha ended April 30, collections fell 9 perceny toabout $5.
6 million. “M y hope is that it [the seconed phase amount for willbe available,” Pozin said. “If the TDC dollarsx did nothing else than stop the then we’re in better shape.”