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Board updates tourist‑tax ordinance and awards $2.04M marketing contract
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Summary
Commissioners adopted changes to the tourist development tax ordinance to formalize an 80/20 distribution (80% marketing/operations; 20% destination development) and approved a three‑year, $2.04 million marketing and media‑buy contract after an RFP process; staff will require annual KPIs and ROAS reporting.
The Hernando County Board of County Commissioners on Nov. 18 revised the county ordinance governing tourist development tax distribution and approved a three‑year marketing contract.
Tammy Hion, the county’s tourism development manager, presented ordinance language that formalizes an 80/20 split of tourist development tax revenue — 80% for marketing and operations and 20% for a Destination Development Fund that can target infrastructure and capital projects. The ordinance also incorporates recommendations from the Clerk of the Court’s audit and moves the list of allowed uses into the ordinance text rather than an exhibit.
"Programmatic media is the most efficient way to buy media," Hion told the board as she described digital, targeted buys and the strategic priorities in the county tourism plan. Commissioners unanimously approved the ordinance on a roll‑call vote.
Separately, following a competitive RFP, the board approved a three‑year contract with a marketing agency (the winning firm will manage creative, programmatic media buys and campaign execution) with a total contract value of roughly $2.04 million over three years, including an annual media buy component estimated at about $500,000. Commissioners asked that the vendor provide annual return‑on‑ad‑spend (ROAS) metrics and key performance indicators for each campaign vertical and reserved the ability to re‑evaluate annual renewals.
Supporters said the vendor model gives the county buying power and technical expertise required for programmatic and real‑time digital ad purchasing, while critics asked staff to ensure the county uses the RFP’s top‑scoring vendors in a cost‑efficient way for non‑programmatic channels. The board approved the contract after debate and requests for regular performance reporting.
