Monroe County residents will soon have an opportunity to "vote" on how Tourist Development Council (TDC) dollars should be spent.
Should more of the $10 million dollars generated by the "bed tax" be spent on local projects and less on advertising?
To find out, the County Commission has approved a survey that will be sent to every registered voter in the County.
It might be timely, then, to go back and take a look at the report of a 10-year-old Grand Jury investigation of the TDC— and ask the question: has anything changed?
The report, issued on April 11, 1989, was scathing. While recognizing that tourism "is the life blood of our community," the report observed:
"During this inquiry, we have been deeply disturbed by the `apparent attitude' of many who would want to side step the serious issues raised in this report because `tourism is better than ever.' Evidence presented to us suggests that the last year has been one of turmoil, indecision, and lack of direction from those responsible for planning the future course for our tourist economy.
"Already the cries are being raised that simply more tourists may not be the answer for a strong tourist economy.
"Recent surveys have suggested that `bed taxes' should be utilized for more `brick and mortar' projects, for keeping our community clean, for convention facilities, etc.— the list has no end.
"This Grand Jury strongly believes, based on all the evidence presented to us, that our tourist economy is at a crossroads.
"As Oliver Wendell Holmes once said `the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.'
"We hope our elected and appointed officials recognize that now is the time to revamp and revitalize our TDC system. Political activity in a TDC Administrative Office must be made a thing of the past, and it must be made clear to all that only those with the highest ethical standards shall be associated with the expenditure of our public funds. The direction is forward— the answer is good government."
Grand Jury's Findings:
1. The Grand Jury found that the TDC inappropriately aided the campaigns of County Commission candidates Mary Kay Reich, Jerry Hernandez and Wilhelmina Harvey by coordinating absentee voter mailings during office hours . . . in secrecy . . . behind locked doors.
2. The Grand Jury found that the TDC inappropriately and exclusively referred reservation inquiries to the Key West Welcome Center, a private-for-profit business which earned commissions for reserving rooms. The report stated that employees of the TDC Administrative Office "were forbidden from making any referrals to `for profit' businesses other than the Key West Welcome Center, even though other businesses in Key West and the Florida Keys operated the same type of business."
3. The Grand Jury found that: employees of the TDC Administrative Office were utilized to coordinate the "Children's Day" Halloween Festival in Key West, a private event supported by private businesses. The report stated that one employee worked on this private event for a period of five months, including at one month for "full time" on the project. Furthermore, "other TDC Administrative office employees spent considerable hours working on this event."
4. The Grand Jury went on to document "that files were kept in the TDC Administrative Office on individuals who criticized the TDC." Some called to testify were fearful of retaliatory attacks on funding. Even members of the Grand Jury were concerned about retribution. In their recommendation, they wrote: "Does our writing of this report, which makes some criticism of the current TDC System and our suggestion for change, make us `anti-tourism?' To be labeled `anti-tourism' in a tourist community can indeed be `fatal' . . . We urge all in our community to open our minds, encourage discussion, profit from criticism, and work together for a better TDC System."
5. The Grand Jury further found that there were numerous conflicts of interest surrounding the TDC and that its relationship with the local Chambers of Commerce which "contributes to the perception that the TDC System is operated like a private club." Furthermore, the five District Advisory Committees "create another level of bureaucracy that only serve to add an advisory committee to yet another advisory committee."
6. The Grand Jury found that the Monroe County Commission was not in charge of the TDC System but had effectively abdicated most of their responsibilities to the TDC and recommended "That the TDC's role be that of an advisory committee." Adding that "when we as citizens ask the question `Who's in charge?' as to the expenditure of tax monies, we expect and demand that it be our elected officials, not appointed members to an `advisory committee.'"
Over ten years have passed since the Grand Jury issued its report. Some has changed, must hasn't. The charges of spending abuse, retribution and the atmosphere of a private club are still pervasive. The biggest change is that the annual revenues in question have doubled from five million dollars to over 10 million dollars.