Anna Maria pursues special assessment tax

There’s a new tax coming for Anna Maria vacation homeowners.

Commissioners authorized an agreement March 23 to hire a bond counselor to aid the city in instituting a special assessment tax.

Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy has pushed for a special assessment tax based on the number of occupants licensed by the city in short-term rentals to relieve the financial burdens of tourism.

In February, the commission authorized a Lakewood Ranch-based branch of the consulting firm Stantec to begin a study on the assessment.

The contract, signed March 23, includes a bond counsel fee of $1.40 per $1,000 collected in the special assessment tax, based on a minimum of $22,500, as well as out-of-pocket expenses.

According to Murphy, the bond counselor will enable the city to validate and obtain a bond once it begins collection of the assessment. He said the city may be able to implement the special assessment by the end of the year.

In other business, the commission unanimously approved a resolution on city gift acceptance.

Under the new policy, gifts to the city of less than $2,500 and without conditions may be accepted by the mayor without consulting the commission.

Offers of gifts valued at more than $2,500 or with conditions must go before the commission. The resolution also provides that real property donations will be reviewed, including a title search, environmental investigation and inspection.

A draft of the resolution was heard March 9 and again with no changes at the March 23 meeting.

The commission also discussed a dredging proposal for the Lake LaVista inlet which is expected to be heard at the next commission meeting.

Murphy said plans are underway to provide public access to the inlet, such as a kayak launch, in order to secure public funding for the project.

The next city commission meeting will be 6 p.m. Thursday April 6, at city hall, 10005 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria.