Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/336863
With Sarasota County already having col- lected $11.5 million in Tourist Development Tax (TDT) revenue through April, "It's look- ing like we possibly could be over [the] $16 million [mark] for the year," Doreen Buonpastore, a staff member of the coun- ty's Office of Financial Management, told the Tourist Development Council during its June 19 meeting. "Wow! That's terrific," responded County Commissioner Nora Patterson, who chairs the advisory board. Through April, the TDT revenue was up 14 percent over the same period in the previous fiscal year, Buonpastore pointed out. During the entire 2013 fiscal year, Sarasota County collected $14,870,207. So far this fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, 2013, April has proven the busiest month. The total TDT revenue collected in April was $1,717,201, according to a chart provided to the TDC members based on figures from the Sarasota County Tax Collector's Office. That figure was 32.1 percent higher than the April 2013 total of $1,300,044, the chart showed. December 2013 is in second place, showing an increase of 20.3 percent over the TDT rev- enue amount for December 2012. However, March has the highest total of any month thus far in the current fiscal year. Its TDT revenue figure was $2,931,741, according to the Sarasota County Tax Collector's Office. That was up 7.8 percent from the March 2013 number of $2,720,202. Through the end of May, Siesta Key contin- ued to lead the way for reporting locations, the Tax Collector's Office data showed. Siesta accounted for 31.67 percent of the total, while the City of Sarasota was in second place with 28.28 percent. Sarasota County held third place, with 17.63 percent, and Longboat Key accounted for 10.89 percent of the money. Rachel Brown Hackney The parking lot at Siesta Public Beach appeared mostly full early in the afternoon of Wednesday, June 18. Photo by Norman Schimmel TOURIST TAX REVENUE COULD HIT THE $16 MILLION MARK THIS FISCAL YEAR NEWS BRIEFS