Cultural Umbrella

How the Cultural Umbrella came to be

In the 1980s the citizens of Monroe County passed referendums authorizing a three-cent tax on tourist lodging, the bed tax, to be used for tourist advertising, promotion and some tourist-related capital projects. The Board of County Commissioners created the Tourist Development Council to recommend and administer those expenditures.

The Tourist Development Council is an advisory committee to the Board of County Commissioners, which gives final approval to all of its actions. Its advisory board of directors has nine members, appointed by the Commissioners. The County Clerk is the custodian of the funds and writes and signs the checks, which are co-signed by the County Mayor.

To serve the different communities of the Keys, five District Advisory Committees were created, from Key West to Key Largo. To serve three Keys-wide industries, three umbrellas were created: Diving, Fishing and Cultural. District Advisory Committees and umbrellas are unique to Monroe County.

The District Advisory Committees recommend expenditures for about one third of the revenue. That share is divided among the districts according to the percentage of revenue collected in each district.

Florida statute allows bed tax money to be spent on administration, advertising, promotion and some tourist-related capital projects and maintenance. The statute has been interpreted more narrowly in Monroe County than in other Florida counties.

The county first contracted the Key West Art and Historical Society to administer the Cultural Umbrella funds, and later the Florida Keys Federation of Chambers. The Florida Keys Council of the Arts was recognized as the appropriate organization to administer the Cultural Umbrella and asked for the job. By resolution, the Board of County Commissioners turned it over to the Arts Council as of January 1, 2002.

The District Advisory Committees and the umbrellas each have Recommendation Committees that review the applications and recommend which ones are funded. Almost always, the Tourist Development Council and the Commissioners approve the recommendations sent to them.

Applications are scored against the goals of the Tourist Development Council: visitors in the off season, enhancement of the visitor experience, local support, and showcasing the destination. Successful applicants are reimbursed for approved expenditures.

This account follows an overview written by Shirley Freeman, Chairman of the Arts Council Committee on the Cultural Umbrella, September 2009. The membership of the Tourist Development Council and the number of District Advisory Committees were checked against Monroe County's published rosters.