A longer stroll
The Third Thursday Gallery Hop in downtown Orlando has expanded to include an arts and crafts market in front of the Orange County Regional History Center, 65 E. Central Blvd. Local artisans and vendors will have booths for patrons checking out new exhibits at participating galleries. Details: 3rdthu.com.
TALLAHASSEE — The Florida House on Wednesday passed a bill allowing hotel taxes to be spent on roads, sewers and other infrastructure projects, as long as they are related to attracting more tourists.
The bill is a significant shift in how the taxes, known as tourism development taxes or bed taxes, can be used. Under current law, those revenues can only be spent on tourism advertising, beach renourishment, convention centers, sports arenas, zoos, aquariums and other tourist attractions.
Rep. Randy Fine, sponsor of the bill, said it’s intended to give local governments the option of spending the funds for other purposes.
“We are not telling local governments what to do,” said Fine, R-Brevard County. “We’re simply saying in addition to the 15 things you can spend money on today if you want access to this 16th, you can do it if your tourist-development council recommends it.”
He added that he filed the bill after a Brevard County tourist development council spent $14.5 million on projects like new soccer fields as 19 million gallons of sewage seeped into the Indian River Lagoon following Hurricane Irma.
The tourism industry, however, has consistently opposed the bill, concerned it would allow cities and counties to fund roads and other projects with tenuous connections to tourism.
A two-thirds vote of the council is required for any project, an independent economic analysis must show how the project will improve tourism and projects can only receive up to 70 percent of their funding from bed taxes.
The bill passed on a 93-20 vote, with several members from Central Florida and other tourismheavy areas voting against it. Central Florida Reps. Mike Miller, ROrlando; Bob Cortes, R-Altamonte Springs; Amy Mercado, DOrlando; Rene Plasencia, R-Orlando; Bobby Olszewski, R-Winter Garden; and Kamia Brown, D-Ocoee, were among the no votes.
The Senate must pass the bill before it heads to Gov. Rick Scott’s desk.