Agencies vow to be more open

TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s embattled economic development agencies signed contracts with the state Wednesday to post contract information, salaries and audits online.

Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida, public-private groups that lure businesses to the state with tax incentives and pay for tourism advertising signed a contract with the Department of Economic Opportunity pledging to post theinformationontheirwebsites.

The move comes as the groups come under intense pressure from lawmakers in the wake of the scandal surrounding a secret $1 million contract awarded by Visit Florida to Miami rapper Pitbull.

TheHouse approved a bill earlier this month to eliminate Enterprise Florida and imposenewstricturesonVisit Florida, requiring it to seek legislative approval for contracts worth more than $750,000.

The contract signed Wednesday by Enterprise Florida calls for it to post its intention to enter into a contractworth more than $1million online five days before the contract is signed. The VisitFlorida contract calls for a $500,000 threshold.

Gov. Rick Scott has traveled the state in recentweeks meeting with tourism industry executives and Enterprise Florida officials, stressing the need to fund the programs, which he argues is needed to boost the state’s economy. He’s asked the Legislature for $85 million for Enterprise Florida and $76 million for Visit Florida.