Tourism council recommends multiple event sponsorships, updates funding policy; tables Fernandina funding proration pending legal review

The Nassau County/Amelia Island Tourist Development Council on Aug. 25 recommended that the Board of County Commissioners approve multiple tourist-development tax sponsorships and a destination-marketing contract for fiscal year 2025–26, adopted an update to its sponsorship policy and tabled a separate request to direct city-generated tourist tax dollars to Fernandina Beach pending county legal review.

The council voted to recommend $20,000 for the Amelia Island Museum of History; $5,000 for Crescendo Amelia Big Band LLC; $25,000 for Isle of 8 Flags Shrimp Festival Inc.; $15,000 for Story and Song Center for Arts and Culture Inc.; a five‑year renewal of the Chairman’s Club sponsorship with Gator Bowl Sports Inc. at $50,000 per year; and a $250,000 renewal for Sell It Travel Services Ltd. to continue U.K. representation. The body also approved revisions to its sponsorship policy meant to tighten application rules and reporting requirements.

Those measures are advisory recommendations to the Nassau County Board of County Commissioners, which has final authority over tourist development tax (TDT) allocations. The council’s fiscal briefing put the TDT budget for fiscal year 2026 at about $11.66 million and reiterated that the bed tax rate in Nassau County is 5 percent.

Council recommendations and votes The council moved through the sponsorship items by tab. Mary Helen Murphy, director of special events for the Amelia Island Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), summarized event impact when recommending the museum and event sponsorships. She said the Amelia Island Museum of History draws about 25,000 visitors a year and that “86% are from outside Nassau County with 58% being outside of the state.” Each sponsorship motion passed on voice vote; the record showed motions carrying after members responded “aye.”

Paul Biernes of the CVB described the $250,000 renewal for Sell It Travel Services as the bureau’s United Kingdom representative, saying, “More than ever, with, with international nuances going on, Canadian visitation dropping, we really have to be on our game, in The UK.” The council approved that contract renewal by voice vote.

The Chairman’s Club renewal with Gator Bowl Sports Inc. was presented as a continuation of a long-standing partnership. Council members confirmed the sponsorship helps secure team lodging and onsite promotional opportunities; speakers noted the team’s local practice activity benefits Fernandina Beach High School. The council approved a five‑year extension at $50,000 per year.

Updated sponsorship policy The council approved an updated funding policy for TDT sponsorship requests intended to add clearer guardrails on awards and reporting. Staff said the revisions include a requirement that event recipients provide a post-event recap within a defined timeframe, a cap that a sponsor request will not exceed 50 percent of a project’s total budget, and language changes converting some “may” statements to “will” to strengthen enforcement. Staff warned that failure to submit required post-event documentation could make an event ineligible for future funding.

Marketing and fiscal briefing Staff presented a marketing update and fiscal snapshot for the council. Paul Biernes and other CVB staff said July and August produced strong group bookings that helped offset softness in some leisure travel segments. CVB staff reported about 79 RFPs in July through their group platform and said forward bookings showed mixed signals: strong group demand but broader economic headwinds could reduce leisure travel later in the year.

Mari Dugger, director of community engagement for the CVB, reviewed TDT basics and allocations. She noted that the county’s TDT collections are administered by the county and are earmarked for tourism promotion, beach improvements and CVB administration. Dugger said the fiscal year 2026 TDT budget proposal is $11,660,000 and that the CVB’s advertising and marketing portion is roughly the majority of the allocations. She summarized legally permitted and prohibited uses under Florida statute 125.0104 and reminded the council that the governing body (the BOCC) makes the factual determination whether a proposed use “primarily promotes tourism.”

Statutory change, lifeguards and capital use Council legal and budget staff reviewed a recent enactment of statutory language (including references to House Bill 7031 and Florida statute 125.0104) and what it permits for TDT spending. Staff said the county had already exceeded the $10,000,000 threshold in tourism development collections that unlocks certain capital uses and that the new language clarifies several permissible categories, including funding lifeguard or ocean-rescue services in some circumstances. The legal summary noted that capital projects funded by TDT generally require an independent analysis showing a positive tourism impact and that no more than 70 percent of project cost may be covered by TDT funds (the remaining portion is typically expected from local matching sources).

City proration motion tabled pending legal review Commissioner Pointer moved that the council recommend the Nassau County Board of County Commissioners “enter into a local grama with the city of Fernandina to prorate the portion of tourism development tax that’s raised in the city limits to be spent in the city limits as limited by the requirements of the Florida statute, 125.0104.” After discussion, Chair Martin said the motion should be reviewed by the county attorney’s office and staff. Mayor Beasley moved to table the item for legal review and discussions between county and city management; Commissioner Hartman seconded. The motion to table passed with one recorded dissent by Commissioner Pointer.

Why this matters Tourism generates a substantial share of Nassau County’s local economy and tax receipts; staff briefing slides estimated hundreds of thousands of overnight visitors and an economic impact approaching $1 billion. The council’s sponsorship recommendations direct proposed uses of TDT revenue toward marketing, events and visitor experiences that staff say help convert day visitors into overnight stays. At the same time, the council acknowledged constraints: TDT revenues are earmarked and limited, and staff said the county’s reserves and budget commitments constrain the extent to which new capital or operating costs can be absorbed.

What’s next The council’s approvals are recommendations to the Nassau County Board of County Commissioners, which must approve expenditures and contracts. The tabled motion on proration and city-specific infrastructure spending will return only after county legal review and discussions with city management, per the council’s direction.

Votes at a glance - Tab B: Recommend $20,000 to Amelia Island Museum of History — motion carried (voice vote). - Tab C: Recommend $5,000 to Crescendo Amelia Big Band LLC — motion carried (voice vote). - Tab D: Recommend $25,000 to Isle of 8 Flags Shrimp Festival Inc. — motion carried (voice vote). - Tab E: Recommend $15,000 to Story and Song Center for Arts and Culture Inc. — motion carried (voice vote). - Tab F: Recommend five‑year Chairman’s Club sponsorship with Gator Bowl Sports Inc., $50,000 per year — motion carried (voice vote). - Tab G: Recommend continued engagement of Sell It Travel Services Ltd., $250,000 — motion carried (voice vote). - Tab H: Approve updates to TDT sponsorship/funding policy — motion carried (voice vote). - Tab K: Motion by Commissioner Pointer recommending BOCC enter interlocal/proration arrangement for city‑generated TDT funds — tabled pending county legal review and discussions between county and city management; motion to table carried with one dissent (Pointer).