Ad Valorem Tax on Businesses
MacQueen urges SRIA to deal with fiscal emergency
BY LISA NEWELL Gulf Breeze News lisa@gulfbreezenews.com

As businesses face the probability of having to pay ad valorem taxes on the value of improvement to their leasehold, another business owner is asking for relief.

Julian MacQueen told members of the Santa Rosa Island Authority board that the issue is very complex.

"It's going to take cooperation between two governments," MacQueen said, referring to Escambia County, which claims the ad valorem taxes, and the SRIA, which claims the leases.

He said the amount is "way beyond any reasonable taxation" and will affect any future development on Pensacola Beach.

At the special meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 22, Marilyn Hess of American Fidelity asked the board to consider charging businesses the higher of the two fees, and splitting the money between the SRIA and Escambia County.

However, even if the members of the Santa Rosa Island Authority wanted to ease the pain on commercial leaseholders, they cannot reduce the amount of the leases without consulting an attorney to see if there are outstanding bonds on them.

Meanwhile, MacQueen says beach business owners need "a tourniquet to stop this hemorrhage that we've got."

SRIA board member Tammy Bohannon, herself a business owner who relocated her real estate agency off the island to escape the high fees, sees the potential problems.

"This is a huge issue," Bohannon said. "There are great consequences if this is not addressed."

In other action, the SRIA voted to rezone an overflow parking lot used primarily to accommodate the Market and fishing charters, from PR-PB (Preservation-Pensacola Beach) to Con/Rec-PB (Conservation/Recreation- Pensacola Beach), allowing the former Baar's Realty and Sunstone Real Estate offices to be leased to Pedro Moraes for a seafood restaurant.