Whenever wealthy people and corporations come before the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners, supine Dull Republican Commissioners normally click their heels and vote yes.
U.S. Supreme Court says PGA TOUR, INC. is a "commercial enterprise" run for benefit of its members.
It got a $2.1 million tax holiday for its headquarters -- Corporate Welfare for the rich.
This time, they euchred and hornswoggled SJC BCC approval of an unprecedented, 25-year, nearly $17 million tax holiday for a multi-billion dollar commercial enterprise, without even a non-discrimination provision for an organization found to have discriminated against disabled golfer who needed to use a golf cart.
I commend Commissioner Jeb Smith, a true fiscal conservative, for voting against this turkey.
I spoke in opposition. I was appalled the staff did minimal research, not even including financial information on PGA TOUR, INC., whose assets are some $3.5 billion.
Video here:
This Corporate Welfare for giant multi-billion dollar companies is indefensible, and must be ended at once.
It is a mushrooming scandal. It needs to pause, then stop.
No one is fooled.
Lobbyist for PGA TOUR, INC. is the lobbyist for St. Johns County, its Sheriff, JEA, JTA, Nocatee and the Davis family, noted fundraiser/bagman THOMAS MARTIN FIORENTINO, JR.
Representing PGA TOUR, INC. were former County Commissioner Philip Mays of Atlanta, who was appointed a Commissioner by Governor Charles Crist. Also representing PGA TOUR, INC. was ROGERS TOWERS partner ELLEN AVERY-SMITH.
This was a "record" for an incentive package, but one poorly covered by the incredible shrinking St. Augustine Record:
The county expects to pay the PGA Tour an estimated $16,778,760 over the course of the agreement. The county estimates it will pay an annual grant payment of $671,150 starting in fiscal year 2025.
Deputy County Administrator Joy Andrews pointed to financial benefits of the project, which is expected to "bring $304 million in direct economic impact per year and $16.7 million in school taxes over 30 years," according to county documents.
The media center is expected to create 45 new jobs at an average wage of at least $79,442, according to the agreement. The PGA Tour expects to make an investment of about $100 million in the project, including the cost of land, building and equipment.
The PGA Tour will also keep 135 jobs currently in the World Golf Village operation.
Attorney Ellen Avery-Smith said the PGA Tour hired a firm to produce the economic impact estimate, but she declined to provide the report because it is proprietary information.
But she said the economic impact includes the building construction, people employed during construction, jobs that will be retained and created through the project, and people employed by companies who work with the tour in broadcast media.
"So it's kind of a combination of all of those dollars, if you will," she said.
As part of the deal, the PGA Tour will also provide "marketing and promotion content assistance to St. Johns County" for free for five years starting Jan. 1, 2025.
The PGA Tour left the St. Johns County Commission meeting on Tuesday with an agreement of more than $16 million that will be paid from county coffers, including taxpayer dollars.
It's the largest incentive agreement the county has approved to date.
The County Commission voted 4-1 to approve the economic development incentive agreement as a way to encourage the PGA Tour's plans to build a broadcast and digital media center as part of its global headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach.
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Commissioners who voted for the plan cited the tour's contributions to the county and its economic influence.
But Commissioner Jeb Smith, the only dissenting vote, called it unwise to sign the county onto a 25-year agreement.
"I have tremendous reservations in regard to that," Smith said. "That's a long time, and I just cannot do that in good conscience."
Commissioner Henry Dean lauded the PGA Tour's partnership with the county, including the international attention brought to St. Johns County by the organization, the economic impact of the organization and charitable donations the organization makes to local nonprofits.
He said those factors weighed in his positive vote, not just the numbers for the specific project.
"I didn't reach this decision in a cavalier manner. ... We are lucky as a county to have the PGA headquarters," Dean said.
The PGA Tour plans to build a 150,000-square-foot facility to house its broadcast media operations on PGA Tour property on Palm Valley Road. The doors are expected to open in March 2024, and the project will "replace and expand upon" the operation of PGA Tour Entertainment at the World Golf Village, according to the county.
The new project will serve as the tour's headquarters for broadcast and media activities.
The county uses its economic development incentive program to attract new commercial development and to entice existing business to expand. Through the program, the county pays back a portion of property taxes, impact fees and water/sewer unit connection fees to the applicant over time.
In this case, the county agreed to pay a rebate of 25 years worth of "ad valorem taxes on real property improvements and new tangible personal property (general county, road and fire portions) and up to 100% of fees collected by the county (impact fees and water/sewer connection fees)," according to the agreement.
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