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Gulf County TDC reports record bed-tax year; commissioners press for stronger short-term rental enforcement and golf-cart rules
Summary
Gulf County TDC reported a record bed-tax year and roughly 1,200 documented short-term rental properties; commissioners pressed staff for stronger enforcement of unlicensed rentals, better emergency-contact data and corridor-specific golf-cart rules to reduce safety incidents.
Miss Williams, a representative of the Gulf County Tourist Development Council, opened the TDC portion of the workshop with performance figures and program updates. "We finished the year up nearly 3 and a half percent" and collected "more than $4,900,000," she said, and added the licensing portal now documents "more than 1,200 properties" with roughly 1,060 licenses issued for the calendar year.
Commissioners responded with questions about compliance and unregistered rentals. One commissioner said rental operators are "playing cat and mouse with us" and urged the board to consider policy tools to capture owners who list properties across multiple platforms. Miss Williams and staff noted audit and inspection work this year found hundreds of previously unregistered units; an inspections staff member reported that targeted field investigations discovered close to 200 properties that had not paid bed taxes earlier in the year.
The board discussed practical enforcement steps. Proposals included stepped penalties for repeated false alarms at STRs, storing STR contact information in county dispatch so first responders can reach a local keyholder, and an online registration option to avoid requiring visitors to register in person. Staff confirmed the licensing portal contains contact information for licensed properties but acknowledged the primary gap remains unlicensed units.
Golf-cart use along Gulf County's tourist corridors drew extended discussion. Commissioners described safety problems — erratic driving, minors operating carts and carts parked in hazardous locations — and proposed a corridor-specific permit or decal system so rental companies and enforcement can identify and sanction repeat offenders. Supporters recommended a workshop with the sheriff and rental companies to design an approach that balances safety without deterring visitors. The sheriff and other speakers noted state rules on age and licensing for low-speed vehicles affect local options and ease of enforcement.
Commissioners also raised operational details tied to inspections. They asked that the STR inspection checklist require a clearly marked elevator-key location and a local point of contact for properties with elevators, to reduce repeated alarms and improve emergency response times. Staff said they would work on sample checklist language and report back in January.
What happens next: staff agreed to return with draft ordinance language and online registration concepts, and to convene a follow-up workshop that includes county enforcement, rental companies and city partners to address corridor-specific problems and coordination with city licensing programs.
