October 24, 2024 • 9 mins
Is there any downside? The answer is, "No" and Preston discussed it with Patrick Chapin, CEO/President of the Bay County Chamber of Commerce.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
And make any of you laugh. Terrorist organization having offices
did you hear that in the national news?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
So like.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Isis with offices in Baghdad, New York, in London and
I don't know anyway. Great to be with you. And
it's the third hour of the Morning Show with Preston
Scott and as promised, Bay County folks, a very important
vote is here. The early voting has started, with of
(00:44):
course the final day being on the fifth of November.
And joining us from the Bay County Chamber of Commerces
the President CEO Patrick Chapin, Pat, how are you.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I'm doing well. Thanks for having me my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
How first of all, let's go back in time. When
did this surtax begin in Bay County?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Started in twenty sixteen, So the Chamber actually led the
charge back then and the voters passed it in twenty
sixteen and is back up on the ballot November fifth.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
It is one of the smartest things that Leon County's
ever done. We call it the blueprint sales tax. It's
a one cent sales tax. Here talk about the benefits
of this tax. Candidly, I'm hoping that this is almost
a no brainer in your community. But I know you're
trying to make sure that people understand the importance of
(01:36):
this syrd tax.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Prustin, that's encouraging. I appreciate your endorsement, and I wasn't
familiar with Leon County, so I'll have to look into that.
That's fantastic. And yeah, the even the most conservative people
call it the Farris tax. If there is a tax,
absolutely Yeah. In our case, we have five billion visitors
(02:00):
to Bay County each year, and about forty five percent
of the revenue generated through this tax will be kind
of shouldered by our visitors, so it actually keeps the
property taxes down. We're able to leverage the dollars and
forty five percent of it is paid for our visitors.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
You know, it's interesting because when you said I was
watching yesterday and one of your guests on the podcast
kind of the Facebook live thing, the zoom meeting whatever
you had, I was watching that, and when I think
you mentioned, yes, one of the leading conservative voices in
our communities in favor of this calls it one of
the fairest taxes out there. I privately assumed you were
(02:40):
talking about me, but well, the truth is it is
the best form of taxation because it's a consumption tax,
and you're right, people that visit your community are helping
pay the costs of the infrastructure projects that are needed
to keep the community, I guess properly operating.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Yeah, it's interesting. I'm relatively new in this role in
the Bay County and I was thinking actually this morning
about what we have a couple hundred thousand people, maybe
two hundred hundred and fifty thousand people total residents and
five million people come. So yeah, there's a lot of
wear and tear on our roads, our infrastructure, and uh,
(03:27):
not only you know, resurfacing and making dirt roads paved,
but we can also do stormwater projects, sidewalks around schools.
We've done just encounter in Bay County Loan, I believe
six bridges repaired or created. So it's so far in
the eight years we've been able to create this this
(03:51):
revenue source, it's about two hundred and fifty million dollars
that has been generated and maybe another seventy million dollars
that we've been able to leverage. And if I can
take them minute, I'll explain that. Yeah, Basically, when a
community goes to the state or the Fed for a
road project or infrastructure project. You know, the FEDS in
(04:12):
the state usually said, well, where's your skin in the game,
and if you hand out, if you hold out your
hand without money in it, they say, you know, get
in the back of the line. We're able to go
with money in our hand. So we kind of jump
to the front of line and all the money that
we get days here in Bay County. But we've been
able to leverage just in Bay County government alone, one
(04:33):
hundred million dollars has been generated and we've been able
to leverage it to forty two million dollars, so pretty
good return.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Absolutely, Patrick chapin with us, we're going to stick around
talk some more. President and CEO of the Bay County
Chamber of Commerce, and we're talking about the half cent
Sytex that all residents of Bay County. You've got to
say in this and I cannot encourage you enough with
let me just point it out this way is economically
(05:01):
one of the strongest states, if not the strongest state
in the nation. Consider we use a consumption tax, we
don't have a personal income tax, and we all benefit
from it. It's the same thing you're basically doing in
Bay County you're you're you're not taking money away. You're
adding to everyone's bottom line by virtue of having all
(05:24):
of all of all of the visitors contribute to the
infrastructure projects that you all use every single day. It
is a half a cent sir tax on every dollar
spent and taxed at the stores. For us in Leon County,
we pay a full penny, and we have renewed this
(05:46):
tax repeatedly because of the value. We get so much
in return for that investment and visitors to our county,
even though it's not nearly the number of visitors you
get in Bay County because of your proximity, the bees
and so forth. It's a smart thing to do in
joining us. Is Patrick Chapin with the Bay County Chamber
(06:06):
of Commerce, what kind of projects pat are on the
agenda of things that need to get done that this
will help fund.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Well, resurfacing for sure, paving some of the dirt roads
up in the northern part of the county. As I
said earlier, we have five or six bridges already repaired.
There's three projected projects just bridges alone. The county has
done sixty four projects and the county has thirty two
(06:36):
already planned with engineering and so forth, so stormwater, road surfacing, intersections,
sidewalks around schools. You know, wherever you see infrastructure, it
is going to that. And let me point out it
only goes to infrastructure, so this doesn't go into the
general fund. There's an oversight committee that makes sure the
(06:56):
projects are done correctly and under the statute. Actually, in
Bay County, the general fund back in twenty sixteen when
this was passed by the voters, had about only two
or three million dollars in the general fund from for
road surfacing, et cetera. That's not a lot of money,
(07:16):
and that was obviously advlorm tax. Since then, Bay County
has been able to take that three million dollars out
and replace it with about sixteen dollars sixteen million dollars
a year and lower property tax. So again sort of
a no brainer. But we've got to really educate the
folks out there.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Is there any organized opposition to this path?
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Not no, not organized certainly. Our partner in this is
the is c PAR Central Panhandle Association of Realtors, and
they have been out there knocking on doors just like signs, billboards,
social media and what I've found spoken to you know,
three dozen different organizations homeowners Association, quantus clubs and so forth,
(08:05):
And it's really about education. Once you know, once they
understand what you and I are talking about, they kind
of start shaking their head in the affirmative. So not
real organized, but you know, it's it's a it's a
crazy year.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Yeah it is. You know, what I wanted to remind
everybody at the front end, and I want to reiterate,
is that, you know, the makeup of the communities. You know,
Leon County is far more Democrat than republican. Bay County
more Republican than Democrat. But even here it is overwhelmingly
supported by both sides of the aisle because of the
(08:40):
value that it presents. And I think the same thing
has got to be true even more so there because
you're a tourist community. We're not. We're more of a
you know, kind of the backpacking, camping kind of tourism,
maybe a little fishing here and there. You guys have
it all going on in Bay County, and this is
a huge boon to the to the the economy to
have these infrastructure projects taken care of with such a simple,
(09:04):
low cost tax.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yeah. You know, as I said, we championed it in
twenty sixteen, before we got ahead of it this time around,
we went to our members and polled them. Eighty nine
percent of our members support this, so we thought for
sure that we had to get out there. We're partnering
with the Panama City Beach Chamber, so there's a real
collaborative effort going on to get this thing across the
(09:29):
finish line.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Pat thanks for the time today, and I'll be very
anxious to see its passage because I suspect it will
pass very, very convincingly, and look forward to all the
projects that get done in the community for you.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Great really appreciate your time. Press
And make any of you laugh. Terrorist organization having offices
did you hear that in the national news?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
So like.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Isis with offices in Baghdad, New York, in London and
I don't know anyway. Great to be with you. And
it's the third hour of the Morning Show with Preston
Scott and as promised, Bay County folks, a very important
vote is here. The early voting has started, with of
(00:44):
course the final day being on the fifth of November.
And joining us from the Bay County Chamber of Commerces
the President CEO Patrick Chapin, Pat, how are you.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I'm doing well. Thanks for having me my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
How first of all, let's go back in time. When
did this surtax begin in Bay County?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Started in twenty sixteen, So the Chamber actually led the
charge back then and the voters passed it in twenty
sixteen and is back up on the ballot November fifth.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
It is one of the smartest things that Leon County's
ever done. We call it the blueprint sales tax. It's
a one cent sales tax. Here talk about the benefits
of this tax. Candidly, I'm hoping that this is almost
a no brainer in your community. But I know you're
trying to make sure that people understand the importance of
(01:36):
this syrd tax.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Prustin, that's encouraging. I appreciate your endorsement, and I wasn't
familiar with Leon County, so I'll have to look into that.
That's fantastic. And yeah, the even the most conservative people
call it the Farris tax. If there is a tax,
absolutely Yeah. In our case, we have five billion visitors
(02:00):
to Bay County each year, and about forty five percent
of the revenue generated through this tax will be kind
of shouldered by our visitors, so it actually keeps the
property taxes down. We're able to leverage the dollars and
forty five percent of it is paid for our visitors.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
You know, it's interesting because when you said I was
watching yesterday and one of your guests on the podcast
kind of the Facebook live thing, the zoom meeting whatever
you had, I was watching that, and when I think
you mentioned, yes, one of the leading conservative voices in
our communities in favor of this calls it one of
the fairest taxes out there. I privately assumed you were
(02:40):
talking about me, but well, the truth is it is
the best form of taxation because it's a consumption tax,
and you're right, people that visit your community are helping
pay the costs of the infrastructure projects that are needed
to keep the community, I guess properly operating.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Yeah, it's interesting. I'm relatively new in this role in
the Bay County and I was thinking actually this morning
about what we have a couple hundred thousand people, maybe
two hundred hundred and fifty thousand people total residents and
five million people come. So yeah, there's a lot of
wear and tear on our roads, our infrastructure, and uh,
(03:27):
not only you know, resurfacing and making dirt roads paved,
but we can also do stormwater projects, sidewalks around schools.
We've done just encounter in Bay County Loan, I believe
six bridges repaired or created. So it's so far in
the eight years we've been able to create this this
(03:51):
revenue source, it's about two hundred and fifty million dollars
that has been generated and maybe another seventy million dollars
that we've been able to leverage. And if I can
take them minute, I'll explain that. Yeah, Basically, when a
community goes to the state or the Fed for a
road project or infrastructure project. You know, the FEDS in
(04:12):
the state usually said, well, where's your skin in the game,
and if you hand out, if you hold out your
hand without money in it, they say, you know, get
in the back of the line. We're able to go
with money in our hand. So we kind of jump
to the front of line and all the money that
we get days here in Bay County. But we've been
able to leverage just in Bay County government alone, one
(04:33):
hundred million dollars has been generated and we've been able
to leverage it to forty two million dollars, so pretty
good return.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Absolutely, Patrick chapin with us, we're going to stick around
talk some more. President and CEO of the Bay County
Chamber of Commerce, and we're talking about the half cent
Sytex that all residents of Bay County. You've got to
say in this and I cannot encourage you enough with
let me just point it out this way is economically
(05:01):
one of the strongest states, if not the strongest state
in the nation. Consider we use a consumption tax, we
don't have a personal income tax, and we all benefit
from it. It's the same thing you're basically doing in
Bay County you're you're you're not taking money away. You're
adding to everyone's bottom line by virtue of having all
(05:24):
of all of all of the visitors contribute to the
infrastructure projects that you all use every single day. It
is a half a cent sir tax on every dollar
spent and taxed at the stores. For us in Leon County,
we pay a full penny, and we have renewed this
(05:46):
tax repeatedly because of the value. We get so much
in return for that investment and visitors to our county,
even though it's not nearly the number of visitors you
get in Bay County because of your proximity, the bees
and so forth. It's a smart thing to do in
joining us. Is Patrick Chapin with the Bay County Chamber
(06:06):
of Commerce, what kind of projects pat are on the
agenda of things that need to get done that this
will help fund.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Well, resurfacing for sure, paving some of the dirt roads
up in the northern part of the county. As I
said earlier, we have five or six bridges already repaired.
There's three projected projects just bridges alone. The county has
done sixty four projects and the county has thirty two
(06:36):
already planned with engineering and so forth, so stormwater, road surfacing, intersections,
sidewalks around schools. You know, wherever you see infrastructure, it
is going to that. And let me point out it
only goes to infrastructure, so this doesn't go into the
general fund. There's an oversight committee that makes sure the
(06:56):
projects are done correctly and under the statute. Actually, in
Bay County, the general fund back in twenty sixteen when
this was passed by the voters, had about only two
or three million dollars in the general fund from for
road surfacing, et cetera. That's not a lot of money,
(07:16):
and that was obviously advlorm tax. Since then, Bay County
has been able to take that three million dollars out
and replace it with about sixteen dollars sixteen million dollars
a year and lower property tax. So again sort of
a no brainer. But we've got to really educate the
folks out there.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Is there any organized opposition to this path?
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Not no, not organized certainly. Our partner in this is
the is c PAR Central Panhandle Association of Realtors, and
they have been out there knocking on doors just like signs, billboards,
social media and what I've found spoken to you know,
three dozen different organizations homeowners Association, quantus clubs and so forth,
(08:05):
And it's really about education. Once you know, once they
understand what you and I are talking about, they kind
of start shaking their head in the affirmative. So not
real organized, but you know, it's it's a it's a
crazy year.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Yeah it is. You know, what I wanted to remind
everybody at the front end, and I want to reiterate,
is that, you know, the makeup of the communities. You know,
Leon County is far more Democrat than republican. Bay County
more Republican than Democrat. But even here it is overwhelmingly
supported by both sides of the aisle because of the
(08:40):
value that it presents. And I think the same thing
has got to be true even more so there because
you're a tourist community. We're not. We're more of a
you know, kind of the backpacking, camping kind of tourism,
maybe a little fishing here and there. You guys have
it all going on in Bay County, and this is
a huge boon to the to the the economy to
have these infrastructure projects taken care of with such a simple,
(09:04):
low cost tax.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yeah. You know, as I said, we championed it in
twenty sixteen, before we got ahead of it this time around,
we went to our members and polled them. Eighty nine
percent of our members support this, so we thought for
sure that we had to get out there. We're partnering
with the Panama City Beach Chamber, so there's a real
collaborative effort going on to get this thing across the
(09:29):
finish line.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Pat thanks for the time today, and I'll be very
anxious to see its passage because I suspect it will
pass very, very convincingly, and look forward to all the
projects that get done in the community for you.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Great really appreciate your time. Press
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