FFCG FY26-27 20260416 TDC Meeting Minutes - Board Approved.pdf

DUVAL COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

Thursday, April 16, 2026, 10:00 a.m.

City Hall - Lynwood Roberts Room

TDC Members: City Council President Carrico (Chair), City Council Vice President Howland (Vice Chair), City Council Member Randy White, Jitan Kuverji, Dennis Chan, Dennis Thompson, Mark VanLoh, Michael Jenkins, Shawn LeNoble

TDC Staff: Carol Brock (Executive Director), Brett Nolan (Administrator), Phillip Peterson (Auditor), Daren Anderson (Office of General Counsel)

I. Welcome and Call to Order Chair Carrico Chair Carrico called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. and attendees introduced themselves for the record. The Chairman shared two congratulatory remarks: an acknowledgment of Mark VanLoh’s appointment to the U.S.

Department of Transportation Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee and congratulations to the TDC Auditor Phillip Peterson on his nomination for City Auditor.

II. Public Comments Including Action Items Chair Carrico

Dana Michelle Maule, Executive Director of Northside Pride

Ms. Maule congratulated Visit Jacksonville's marketing team for highlighting unique neighborhoods like Out East and Durkeeville. She expressed hope that Black History Month celebrations would have been more prominently recognized and aligned with tourism efforts. Ms. Maule suggested that Juneteenth celebrations be included in future marketing projects.

John Nooney

Mr. Nooney presented a creative acronym-laden overview of various city initiatives and tourism potential.

III. Approval of Minutes Chair Carrico The minutes of the February 12, 2026 Regular TDC meeting were approved unanimously as distributed.

IV. Tourism Strategic Plan Update Dennis Thompson

The Chair introduced Dennis Thompson, who provided an update on the Tourism Strategic Plan. He highlighted the plan’s four foundational pillars and stressed the importance of maintaining flexibility to adapt to emerging market opportunities. Mr. Thompson announced the formation of the Tourism Strategic Plan Advisory Committee, which will meet to discuss current trends and opportunities, with its findings to be shared at future Tourist Development Council (TDC) meetings. The first meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 27th at 10:00 a.m. and is open to the public. The committee will focus on providing input, guidance, and recommendations. The advisory committee will have no decision-making authority; that responsibility rests solely with the Tourist Development Council board.

V. FY 26-27 TDC Budget Chair Carrico

The Chair introduced Michael Corrigan, CEO of Visit Jacksonville, to introduce a funding request.

Sports Tourism FY 26-27 Budget Request Michael Corrigan Mr. Corrigan presented a case for an additional $1 million investment in Visit Jacksonville’s sports tourism initiative.

He highlighted the strong return on investment from the previous $1.5 million allocation, which generated over $23 million in economic impact. However, with current sponsorship and grant funds nearly exhausted, only about 10% of the original allocation (approximately $185,000) remaining, Visit Jacksonville is requesting fresh funding to sustain and expand the program.

The request prompted discussion regarding the impact on TDC reserves. Phillip Peterson, the Council Auditor, explained that the additional $1 million would be drawn from reserves, leaving a projected balance of $2.8–$2.9 million. This amount would remain above the council’s 15% reserve cushion policy threshold. Several members expressed concern about further depleting reserves and the importance of future bed tax growth to support ongoing investments.

Council Vice President Howland voiced support for the request, noting that sports tourism aligns with the TDC’s strategic priorities and that the impact on reserves would be modest. He also acknowledged the opportunity cost of allocating the funds elsewhere. Mr. LeNoble reinforced the strong ROI of sports tourism compared to other city initiatives, emphasizing its high economic multiplier effect.

Mr. Corrigan reminded the board that the city has shifted away from a traditional “convention city” model. He noted that the University of Florida is expected to assume control of the Prime Osborn Convention Center as part of its graduate school campus expansion. As a result, he argued that sports tourism will play an increasingly important role in supporting group tourism overall. Alex Alston (City of Jacksonville Sports and Entertainment) emphasized the need for immediate sporting investments to secure future opportunities, noting that several promising events are currently in the pipeline.

Mr. Thompson asked the council to consider deferring the action until after the Tourism Strategic Plan Advisory Committee’s first meeting on April 27. He recommended waiting for the committee’s findings to ensure the request aligns with the broader strategic pillars and incorporates stakeholder input before committing additional funds.

The council ultimately debated and approved the motion for the additional $1 million in sports tourism funding.

Motion (Howland / 2nd White): Approve $1M to be added to the Sports Tourism contract to be funded in the TDC FY 26-27 Budget using dollars from the TDC Fund Balance. – approved unanimously.

Ms. Brock noted that the existing sports tourism contract expires September 30, 2026 and that a new agreement will be required. She outlined the administrative process, which includes drafting legislation, obtaining City Council approval, and implementing the replacement contract in a timely manner to avoid any disruption in funding or program delivery.

Review and Approval of FY 26-27 TDC Budget Carol Brock Ms. Brock presented the Fiscal Year 2026 – 2027 TDC Budget to the board. She shared that the budget is based on conservative estimates at the direction of the Mayor’s Office using level Tourist Development Tax Revenue projections. The TDC revenue and expenses reflect a $1,792,253 transfer from the fund balance up from $943,697 fund balance transfer at the start of this Fiscal Year. This transfer includes the $1 million for the Visit Jacksonville sports tourism initiative. Additionally, Ms. Brock reminded the board that the Visit Jacksonville portion of the budget is spread out over four line items: Destination Experience; Marketing Services; Convention and Group Sales; and lastly, Convention Grants, Sponsorships, and Promotions. These are part of the planning components bound by Chapter 666, Ordinance Code, which the TDC contracts with Visit Jacksonville as the County’s destination marketing organization to market and promote the area for tourism or convention business. Ms. Brock said that Visit Jacksonville budget reflects an approximately 5% increase in these four planning components. The TDC Administration line item, including salaries, increased by $274 compared to last year. Many of these line items are determined by the Mayor’s Office and are likely to be changed over the coming months. The Destination Experience category showed an increase in the STR/CoStar subscription which includes forecasting and pipeline data used by Visit Jax. This portion of the VJ contract increased by approximately $100,000 from last year. Marketing Services includes a request from Florida’s First Coast of Golf at $228,750, which is level to the FY 25-26 funding request.

This portion of the Visit Jax contract has an almost $150,000 increase in marketing. This section also details the $1 million approved by the TDC for sports tourism funding. Convention and Group Sales include $270,000 for TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, down $30,000 compared to last year’s funding. This portion of the Visit Jax contract has an approximate $180,000 increase. The Convention Grants, Sponsorships, and Promotions category is budgeted for $940,000, up $50,000 compared to the current fiscal year to adjust for additional sponsorship dollars to support smaller events. Planning and Research is level at $100,000 which can be used for studies, reports, etc. if needed.

Event Grant funding is also level at $1,150,000. Equestrian Center (H.O.R.S.E. Therapies) Grants is budgeted for a $10,000 request. Development and Contingency do not have any additional funds being added.

Unallocated/Remaining to Spend is at $500,000, which can be used to help supplement other line items should it be necessary. Should there be any changes in the budget as presented, the TDC will have an opportunity to approved a revised budget at upcoming meetings.

Motion (Howland / 2nd Jenkins): Approve the Fiscal Year 2026 – 2027 TDC Budget as presented. – approved unanimously.

* The approved TDC FY 2026-2027 Budget is attached to these minutes.

CarolBrock Highlight

CarolBrock Highlight

VI. Visit Jacksonville Update Michael Corrigan Mr. Corrigan provided to the board with the Visit Jacksonville update, beginning with a travel plan change request.

Brand USA Travel Week 2026 The request from Visit Jacksonville was to attend the Brand USA Travel Week 2026, which will be held in Amsterdam. The travel week was not part of the original FY 26-27 plan. The purpose of the trip is to position Jacksonville in the United Kingdom and broader European markets, which plan tourism trips 12-18 months in advance, unlike the shorter-term U.S. planning cycles. Mr. Corrigan emphasized that attending the event will help the city capture missed international opportunities and build relationships with European tour operators. Because the travel cost can be covered within the existing budget and does not require additional funding, the request was a “budget-neutral” travel change. A motion to approve the Brand USA Travel Week participation was made, seconded, and passed without discussion, confirming the TDC’s consent for the travel change.

Motion (Howland / 2nd Jenkins): Approve the Brand USA Travel Week 2026 request as presented. – approved unanimously.

Budget Reallocation Request Mr. Corrigan proposed a budget reallocation that totals $154,000 and involves shifting funds among five line items to better align spending with current priorities. Because the reallocation exceeds the 10 % threshold for a single budget category, the changes require formal TDC approval rather than a routine internal adjustment. The reallocation includes the recently approved trade-shows marketing line, identified as the central item among the five, plus four other allocations that will be redirected to support more effective use of the existing budget. These shifts are intended to better utilize allocated budget dollars.

Motion (Howland / 2nd White): Approve the FY 25-26 budgetary reallocation as presented. – approved unanimously.

Quarterly Report Mr. Corrigan reported a substantial increase in its outreach metrics, noting that total advertising impressions rose to over 37 million during the reporting period, indicating a broad reach across its target audiences. The organization also hosted 38 travel writers from the Society of American Travel Writers Freelance Council for a familiarization tour, enhancing media exposure and generating earned coverage for the city. A notable operational milestone was the first use of the new Riverfront Plaza, which the team deployed beneath the playground area to improve visitor information access. In addition, the Phase II of the “Soul to Surf” initiative was completed, producing new video content that showcases local surf culture. Visit Jacksonville also conducted three neighborhood-hotel partner meetings, fostering collaboration with the hotel sector and ensuring that hospitality stakeholders are aligned with Visit Jacksonville’s marketing strategies. The organization participated in the Florida Huddle, a statewide tourism gathering, where it met with more than 20 international travel and trade representatives, further expanding its global network and market intelligence. During the quarter, Visit Jacksonville produced two new videos highlighting Jacksonville’s Black History in celebration of Black History Month, reinforcing the city’s commitment to inclusive storytelling and cultural preservation. Website analytics showed a 7.47 % decline in user traffic for the quarter, a dip attributed to the typically slower second-quarter period and emerging AI-driven changes in user behavior; the marketing team responded by reallocating spend toward social-media advertising while reducing reliance on web-based campaigns. These combined efforts illustrate a strategic shift toward data-driven, multi-channel promotion aimed at sustaining tourism growth despite seasonal fluctuations.

Mr. Kuverji requested more metrics in the quarterly reports to see trends which Visit Jacksonville agreed to do.

Mr. Jenkins applauded the Black History Month content.

VII. Short-Term Rental Tourist Development Tax Update Carla Miller The short‑term‑rental briefing was presented by Carla Miller, a representative from the Mayor’s Office, who outlined the current status of voluntary contracts with rental platforms, legislative developments, inter‑departmental coordination, and the proposed communication strategy for owners. Ms. Miller began by recalling the TDC’s decision in December to pursue voluntary agreements with platforms such as Airbnb, with the intent to negotiate contracts in January, submitting them to City Council in early February, and begin collecting the tourist development tax in March. She noted that this straightforward timeline was later complicated by a decade‑long history of legislative attempts, including the 2019 City Council audit, the 2024 Florida‑legislature sweep that was ultimately vetoed by the governor, and the resulting uncertainty around how to capture tax revenue from short‑term rentals.

Describing the situation as an “octopus” with many tentacles, Ms. Miller identified the first major issue: platforms refusing to sign contracts because a uniform tax would create inequities between those that charge the tax and those that do not. The good news she reported is that a tax amendment has passed the Florida House and is moving through the Senate; the amendment would require every short‑term rental platform to remit the 6% tax directly to each county, eliminating the need for individual agreements. State Representative Wyman Duggan, chair of the Ways and Means Committee, is actively supporting the amendment.

The second tentacle involves the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department’s intensive inspection program for short‑term rentals. Ms. Miller explained that fire‑inspection crews will simultaneously collect tax and code‑compliance information, allowing the department to verify safety features such as balconies and pools while gathering data for the tax collector.

The third tentacle concerns the Property Appraiser’s Office, which is compiling a comprehensive list of all short‑term rentals because such properties are ineligible for homestead exemption. The IT department has now produced the first county‑wide inventory, which can be shared with the tax collector, fire department, and other agencies for coordinated enforcement. The Office of the General Counsel is preparing liens on non‑compliant properties, while Code Compliance is developing local ordinances to require fire‑safety affidavits and 24‑hour monitoring, though the City Council cannot enact a new ordinance this year due to state restrictions.

Ms. Miller highlighted the Florida’s ban on local ordinances limits the City Council’s ability to legislate further until 2026. At that time, stakeholder engagement, involving hotel representatives, property‑management firms, and private owners, would help with creating an ordinance addressing this issue.

To improve owner awareness, Ms. Miller proposed a city‑wide mailer that consolidates information from the tax collector, fire department, property appraiser, and other agencies. The mailer would include a QR code be sent to every property owner on the tax‑assessment roll, at an estimated cost of $16,000, to be split among the participating departments.

Ms. Miller concluded by expressing optimism that the pending state amendment will resolve the tax‑collection challenge and that the coordinated inter‑agency approach will streamline compliance.

Mr. Jenkins asked whether the newly compiled list represented a complete inventory of short-term rentals. Ms.

Miller clarified that the list is derived from the state Department of Professional Regulation (DPPR) registrations and therefore does not capture owners who have chosen not to register at the state level. She acknowledged that without a local registration requirement, some rentals remain invisible, and that a future municipal ordinance would be needed to capture those properties.

Mr. Kuverji questioned the projected capture rate, noting that the 90-95 % figure seemed optimistic given the known gaps. He cited a count of roughly 5,200 short-term rentals in Duval County at this time. Mr. Kuverji also raised concerns about data quality, suggesting that the TDC look to St. John’s County Tourist Development Council’s compliance model, which employs advanced data-analytics and AI tools to identify unregistered rentals.

In response, Ms. Miller noted that the tax amendment, once enacted, would automatically capture the majority of revenue because platforms would remit taxes directly to the county, achieving an estimated 90-95 % capture of taxable activity. She agreed that additional data-driven enforcement could further improve compliance and mentioned the potential use of Host Compliance’s AI-based platform.

VIII. Financial Report Phillip Peterson

Assistant Council Auditor Phillip Peterson gave the financial report. TDC tax revenues for the 12 months ending March 2026 were $10,685,257.49, a 0.64% increase over the 12 months ending March 2025. Revenue from the start of FY 25-26 to date, four months ending in March 2026, was $4,951,775.44, down 3.71% compared to the start of FY 24-25 to date, four months ending in March 2025. Revenue for March 2026 was $926,266.14, up 4.91% from the same month in 2025. Actual collections for the fiscal year to date were under the average monthly budgeted amount by $252,457.88.

Mr. Peterson reviewed the budgetary balances as of February 28, 2026 remaining in the TDC’s contractual and operating accounts, they are: Destination Services - $1,508.52; Marketing - $0; Convention/Group Sales - $0;

Convention Grants, Sponsorships, and Promotions - $457,424.54; Planning and Research - $77,827; Event Grants

- $470,000; Development Account - $2,121,077.63; Contingency Account - $956,061; Equestrian Center Promotion

- $9,495.05; Remaining to be Spent in Accordance with the TDC Plan – TDC Operations - $ 564,331; TDC Administration - $188,721.67; and the Special Revenue Fund - $32,767.50.

Mr. Peterson also stated that if revenues came in at budget, the projected year end fund balance would be ~$4.3 million, but this number is expected to decrease.

IX. New Business Chair Carrico No new business was shared.

X. Closing Comments and Adjournment Chair Carrico The Chair stated that the next TDC Board Meeting will be on Thursday, June 11, 2026, 10:00 a.m., City Hall – Lynwood Roberts Room. This will be the second and final grant application cycle for FY 25-26.

Seeing no further business, Chair Carrico adjourned the meeting at 11:12 a.m.

Meeting Minutes respectfully submitted by Brett Nolan, TDC Administrator

Duval County Tourist Development Council Fiscal Year 2026 – 2027 Budget

CarolBrock Highlight