St. Pete Beach commissioners ask city attorney to study tolling Gulf Boulevard amid business-impact concerns

Commissioners for St. Pete Beach debated studying tolls on Gulf Boulevard as a potential means to address lapses in municipal funding, but several commissioners warned that tolling could harm the city’s small-business mix.

Commissioner Reznicki, who summarized several ideas already under consideration, warned that "the devil's in the details" for any toll on the island and urged caution about modeling the city after larger residential islands. He said he would "hate to see us do something that ... completely crushes our business community," noting that a modest toll can escalate over time and citing Sanibel as having tolls "up to 7 or $8 a trip." Reznicki said he was also curious to see projections for how recently approved developments will increase the tax base once built.

Commissioner Robinson described Treasure Island’s historical use of a toll bridge, saying it "funded virtually everything" there while the toll was in place and could be similarly "instrumental" for St. Pete Beach. Robinson also noted the volume of short-term visitors who cruise through the island and said tolling was worth checking into as a revenue option.

The commission asked the city attorney to prepare a presentation and a quick summary for one of the next meetings — with December or January discussed as possible timing — and a speaker offered to provide an initial memo "maybe in January." Commissioners noted the commission’s busy December agenda and an upcoming priority retreat when scheduling follow-up work. The direction was to have staff bring analysis back to the commission; no formal vote was recorded on a specific toll proposal during this meeting.

The discussion emphasized balancing residents’ desire to avoid higher taxes with the goal of preserving island businesses and local services. Commissioners asked staff for more detailed fiscal projections and for an assessment of how tolling would interact with the city’s development-driven changes to the tax base before any policy decisions were proposed.

Looking ahead, commissioners asked for a staff presentation that would outline legal and operational details, expected revenue ranges, and potential economic impacts on local businesses so the commission could consider options with more concrete data.