Collier County accepts sports‑complex and Sun & Fun studies and directs 6¢ tourist‑tax referendum

Collier County commissioners on July 8 accepted two tourism impact studies — for the Paradise Coast Sports Complex and Sun And Fun Lagoon — and directed the county attorney to advertise an ordinance to place a 6¢ tourist development tax (TDT) referendum on the Nov. 4, 2026, ballot.

The board voted unanimously to accept the consultant reports and to move forward with the referendum process, which county staff estimate would generate roughly $9–$10 million annually. The commission also approved moving ahead with construction of Field 9 at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex, including parking and a pavilion, using planned tourism‑development funds.

Why it matters: Consultants found that expanding outdoor baseball and softball fields at Paradise Coast would lift summer visitation — a traditionally slow season for area hotels — and produce millions in net visitor spending and hotel tax revenue over time. The Sun And Fun study showed nearly half of the park’s visits come from outside Collier County and found modest investments (cabana rentals, third‑party management) could increase spending by visitors and add tax revenue.

Consultant Matthew Avila summarized the sports‑complex findings, saying the recommended outdoor expansion would drive room‑night growth in summer months and produce “significant additional attendance” for baseball and softball events. Sports‑complex general manager Adrian Moses told the board earlier operations wouldn’t scale one‑for‑one with fields added: existing managerial staff and some shared overhead would absorb part of the expansion, and revenue from new tournaments should cover event cost increases.

Commissioners focused questions on operations and long‑term capital needs. Commissioner McDaniel said he supported placing the referendum on the ballot but asked for “a far more detailed analysis on the O&M expected” including capital‑replacement reserves before agreeing to any final construction program. Commissioner Locastro urged the board not to “get tunnel vision” and recommended making a public, itemized list of projects the TDT could fund so voters understand the breadth of proposed uses.

Business and sports stakeholders voiced support. Chris Lopez of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association told commissioners the local lodging industry has discussed the measure and views the tax as a visitor‑paid funding source: “This is not a tax on the citizenry of Collier County. This is a tax on every visitor that comes in and spends one night in a hotel or a short‑term rental.” Veronica Dosio of Naples United FC described local demand: “I have 12‑year olds training at 10PM because we don’t have enough fields,” and urged the county to preserve daytime practice and game capacity for youth programs.

Next steps and limits: The board directed the county attorney to advertise an ordinance to place the incremental 1% (6¢) TDT on the ballot and reaffirmed that adopting an ordinance and advertising a referendum does not itself impose the tax; voter approval would be required. Commissioners also reaffirmed September public hearing dates on the FY 2025‑26 budget timetable.

Quotes: "If we don't move forward with that, this discussion is just academic because we don't have the money to do either scenario," Paradise Coast manager Adrian Moses said of funding options. "The facility is one of the most premier soccer complexes in the country," consultant Matthew Avila said in describing market position.

What’s next: Staff will proceed with the statutory steps to advertise the ordinance and work with stakeholders on community outreach; commissioners asked for additional analysis on operations, debt service and capital‑replacement funding before making final decisions on any expansion package.