MARY ESTHER—Instead of enacting a proposed short-term rental ordinance, the City of Mary Esther is now considering a business tax receipt program to track vacation rentals.
The situation surrounding short-term rentals dates to August 2023, when the council held a workshop to formulate a path forward in regulating rental properties. It continued until March, when the committee reviewed a draft ordinance two days before the state legislature adopted Senate Bill 280, designed to regulate vacation rentals at the state level.
By June, the council had the first reading of the proposed measure. That same month, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed SB 280, saying the measure “created bureaucratic red tape that locals must comply with.”
The proposed measure was then tabled twice until Dec. 9, when the council again discussed it. Monday’s meeting was to discuss the next steps forward for Mary Esther, and the board had the choice of considering four options.
The first three options pertain to either the original ordinance submitted in March or the amended ordinance proposed in the following meetings. However, the council could also discuss using a business tax receipt to track vacation rentals.
Councilwoman April Sutton argued for the business tax receipts program instead of a short-term rental ordinance, saying that vacation rental properties are small businesses and that the city shouldn’t overregulate small-business operations in Mary Esther.
“(It’s) government overreach, and we are making it harder for businesses to operate,” Sutton said. “These short-term rentals provide a (much needed) necessity for our military men and women.”
Sutton also took issue with the “Designated Responsible Party” section of the proposed ordinance, which says that all owners of the rental homes must keep a two-year history of those who use the homes—adding that this is an unjust ask of long-term rental homeowners and a heavy ask for limited city staff.
Echoing Sutton’s comments was Councilwoman Susan Coxwell, who also had issues with the designated responsible party and thought more work was needed on the proposed ordinance.
“I think we are at a pretty outreached ordinance,” Coxwell said. “I think it can be cleaned up a little bit.”
After Councilman Barry Oder asked how the business tax receipt program would work, City Manager Jared Cobb said it would be conducted annually and follow current business laws.
Councilman Larry Carter said the proposed ordinance would give the city a baseline to follow regarding increasing the quality of life. While he is not against the proposed ordinance, but said he thinks the city should implement some regulations regarding short-term rentals.
After some deliberation by the City Council, Mayor Chris Stein directed city staff to begin working on a business tax receipt program for deliberation at a future meeting.
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Mary Esther considers business tax receipts for short-term rentals