County Pulls In Record Bedtax Collections In September

By Claudio Mendonca
Miami-Dade convention and development tax collections hit a record $2.1 million in September, up 25% from $1.7 million a year ago, according to the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Collections for the first nine months of the year are 18% ahead of last year at $30 million.

The 3% convention and development tax on hotel rooms is one of three bed taxes the county collects. Its revenues are used to build venues such as the Miami Performing Arts Center and help maintain the Miami Beach Convention Center.

"Collection is way above projections at 18% over the budget," said Stuart Blumberg, president of the Greater Miami & the Beaches Hotel Association. "This is a clear indicator of how well business is doing."

The September increase was propelled by a strong Labor Day weekend, said William Talbert III, convention bureau president. Most important, however, was the presence of 13,000 delegates at the International Chiefs of Police Conference, which had an economic impact on the county of $25 million and generated close to 29,500 hotel room nights.

Strong September numbers were reflected in restaurant sales in Miami Beach. Coming off August’s Miami Spice Restaurant Month, which was extended into September, the county had $263.3 million in taxable restaurant sales, up 7.7% from last year.

"This is very significant," Mr. Talbert said. "In addition, September broke records when it comes to restaurant sales."