Volusia beach pass revenue down significantly after pandemic hit

When Volusia County temporarily closed its beaches to driving early in the pandemic, the goal was to stem the spread of the coronavirus by keeping outsiders away.

"The expectation is that Volusia County will experience low numbers of non-residents visiting the beach," a March news release said.

But data obtained in a public records request shows a puzzling picture of who stayed away and who didn't, and health officials don't believe COVID is widely spread on the beaches anyway.

Holly Smith, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County, said case investigations have not shown the beach to be a significant source of spread.

More:Beach driving advocates see an opening with election of new Volusia County chair

Beach visits plummeted in the early spring, when the county enforced a 44-day closure to vehicles, and the most recent data shows county residents bought 23 percent fewer annual passes during 2020 than in recent years.

But non-residents are buying 3 percent more annual passes.

In June, just before the deadly summer surge, the county saw the highest monthly sale of annual passes to non-residents in recent years.

The number of daily passes sold during the past year also was down — 38 percent compared to this past calendar year. The county doesn't collect data on where those purchasers live.

More:Daytona International Speedway could play host to mass vaccinations, Volusia officials say

All that adds up to a 27 percent dip in the revenue in 2020, leaving a hole of about $1.7 million with November and December yet to be tallied. Revenue for fiscal year 2019-20, which ended in September, is nearly $2.2 million below fiscal year 2018-19.

It's not the only economic ripple of the COVID-19 pandemic on the county budget. County Manager George Recktenwald projected in October that sales tax revenues would dip 12.6 percent. Resort taxes were down 19 percent in July, and have been below 2019 for the entire year, a result of fewer overnight visitors during the pandemic.

Beach passes are for people driving and parking on the beach itself, and it's unclear how many people walked or biked up instead.

"You’ve got 47 miles of beach and what is it, 13 coastal parks, and how many hundreds of walkovers?" county spokesman Kevin Captain said.

More:Daytona's Halifax Health gets its first doses of coronavirus vaccine

Fluctuations also vary with the weather and myriad other factors, added Kate Sark, who does marketing for the county.

"We're a town that has a lot of visitors and beach traffic because of our holidays and what we’re known for," Sark said. "I think it was a great option for people to safely be able to get some fresh air and still follow all those precautions."

Beaches not behind spread

Dr. Cindy Prins, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Florida, said reopening Florida beaches wasn't a huge concern.

"It's just not been a big issue for us," she said. "You're outside. You have the ability to distance from other people."

Current CDC guidance suggests beaches are low-risk if people stay 6 feet apart, but risk becomes moderate where crowds gather and social distancing is not possible.

"Our beach safety team worked very diligently to ensure that people were following those safety guidelines," Sark said.

More:New Smyrna Beach residents have their backs against the waves as dunes erode

Prins pointed out people can certainly get infected outdoors.

"It lowers the risk but it doesn’t make it zero," she said. "When you’re indoors the air tends to be a little more still … When you go outside, you have so much air around you."

Beaches by their nature tend to be windy, and breezes help dissipate droplets and aerosols that might contain the virus before they can infect someone.

It's still important to take precautions, like not getting together with people you don't live with, avoiding packed holidays when social distancing becomes impossible and bringing a mask for when you step into an indoor space to use the bathroom or get food.

"For people just walking by or whatever, that’s not a big concern," Prins said. 

More:Halifax Health COVID caregiver looks ahead to Christmas after a challenging year

Volusia County began imposing limits on the size of gatherings at beaches in mid-March, with the first closure to vehicles going into effect March 27 and lasting until May 9.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a statewide stay-at-home order April 1. The next day, Volusia County manager George Recktenwald announced beaches would close entirely.

County councilmembers took to social media to criticize the move and the public outcry was swift. The rules were revised two days later to allow for walking, running, biking, fishing swimming and surfing.

More:River Bend Golf Club set to close in Ormond Beach as pandemic, tax dispute linger

March saw a 40 percent reduction in sales of beach passes — more than $300,000.

Revenues nearly vanished in April. Only $2,175 was collected, while the past two years averaged $869,000. No daily passes were sold and only 66 annual passes were handed out.

Thinks began to improve in May, but revenue was still down $123,000, a 16 percent decrease from previous years.

The statewide restrictions began easing the first week of May and haven't returned, despite a massive surge in cases in July and August and the steady climb seen in recent weeks. 

Coronavirus cases in Florida are now over 1.2 million and statewide deaths are above 20,000. Volusia County has seen more than 20,000 cases and 400 deaths.

More:Volusia hotels: Numbers down significantly for holiday weekend

The county raked in an average of $6.5 million from beach tolls in 2018 and 2019. 

That's gone up more than $1 million per year since 2018, when daily fees doubled from $10 to $20, leading many locals to instead spring for the marginally pricier annual passes. Annual passes are $25 for Volusia County residents and $100 for others. Inlet access tacks on another $20 yearly.

Annual passholders were credited 59 days this year for the limitations. 

Numbers in this story are compared to data from 2018 and 2019 to avoid distortions caused by the change in price structure. Year-to-date figures exclude November and December because this year's numbers for those months are not yet available.

More:Gold shovels and Red Lobster: Construction begins at Daytona Beach Shores beachside park

A $4 chunk of every pass sold is used for capital improvements. The remainder goes into the general fund, said budget director Aaron Van Kleek.

The dip in revenue and cost savings during the closure was factored into the $821 million budget adopted in October and county officials say they're optimistic about a recovery in 2021.

"We are projecting a full recovery in beach revenue, with an estimated $6.8 million to be collected," Van Kleek said.