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Board of County Commissioners Meeting Minutes - Final <br />funding recipients. <br />Attachments: Staff Report <br />June 7, 2022 <br />Kristin Daniels, Management and Budget Director, presented the Tourist <br />Development Council's (TDC) Budget Recommendations for fiscal year <br />2022/2023. Ms. Daniels reported that Tourist Tax revenue had exceeded budget <br />estimates and staff recommended a TDC budget increase of 31 % for a total of <br />$1.4 million available for distribution. She noted that the County's Outside Agency <br />Funding Policy prevented the TDC from awarding funds to municipalities, and so <br />the City of Vero Beach's request had not been included in any of the <br />recommendations. <br />Ms. Daniels first displayed the TDC funding recommendations (Table 2), <br />approved at their May 11, 2022 meeting, which incurred a budget overage of <br />almost $18,000 to be pulled from the TDC's reserves. Staff proposed alternate <br />recommendations (Table 3) for a balanced budget based on the TDC's ranking <br />process under which the lowest ranked agency, Coastal Connections, would not <br />receive any funding, and the Cultural Council would receive less than they had <br />requested. Staff proposed maintaining the Contingency Reserve, and also <br />retaining 10% of budgeted revenues as a hedge against a possible downturn in tax <br />revenue. <br />Janet Begley, Cultural Council Finance Manager, clarified that their request for <br />additional funds was earmarked to assist the Gifford Cultural Center by passing <br />through money for a fundraising event, and she further explained the connection <br />between the two organizations. <br />Commissioner Adams favored staffs recommendation which adhered to the <br />TDC's funding policy, and suggested the Gifford Cultural Center could return to <br />request funds from the Contingency Reserve. Discussion ensued with <br />Commissioners Flescher and Moss advocating for use of the contingency fund to <br />cover all agencies' requests; Chairman O'Bryan suggested an alternate distribution <br />of funds. Ms. Begley provided additional information to Vice Chairman Earman <br />on the Cultural Council's request to secure money on the Gifford Cultural Center's <br />behalf. County Administrator Jason Brown commented in favor of holding to a <br />balanced budget. <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Flescher, seconded by Commissioner <br />Moss, to approve the Tourist Development Council's recommendation to fully <br />fund all of the agencies requesting a share of Tourist Tax revenue by using <br />money from reserves to cover the budget overage. The motion failed by the <br />following vote: <br />Aye: 2 - Commissioner Flescher, and Commissioner Moss <br />Indian River County Florida Page 17 <br />