A proposal by Vero Beach that the county take over lifeguard services at the city’s three beaches, which was tabled by county commissioners last May, is under renewed discussion now that a change in state law allows tourist tax dollars to be used for lifeguard salaries and benefits.
City Manager Monte Falls told council members he will be meeting with County Administrator John Titkanich again this month to see if the county may now be willing to take over lifeguard services using some tourist tax money, or whether alternatively it might finally share some of the tourist tax money with Vero.
The expense of lifeguards and distribution of tourist tax revenues have long been points of contention between Vero and Indian River County.
The city currently pays $1,012,000 per year in salaries, benefits and operating costs for nine full-time lifeguards and 10 part-time lifeguards to provide ocean rescue services at the three beaches within the city limits – Jaycee Park, Humiston Park and South Beach Park.
Vero’s complaint is that while city taxpayers bear the funding burden, most of those benefiting do not live in the city.
“About 60-to-70 percent of those who visit city beaches are not city residents,” said Vero Mayor John Cotugno.
At the same time, the county has steadfastly refused to share any of the tourist tax revenue it collects from a 5 percent bed tax on hotel guests – projected to bring in about $5 million this fiscal year – with Vero, even though a large portion of the revenue comes from the oceanfront resorts in the city.
Until now, all the bed tax revenue had to go for promotion of tourism. But this past legislative session, an amendment was passed allowing some of this revenue to be used to fund lifeguard services.
The county and city discussed a county takeover of city lifeguard services in October 2023, but staff concluded at that time the county could not absorb the additional costs without increasing the property tax rate.
But now that the amendment allows tourist tax money to fund lifeguard services, Falls and Titkanich have agreed to renew their discussions.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
