Orange County’s Tourist Development Tax (TDT) Citizen Advisory Task Force funding interest indicator deadline for submission has been extended to May 5, 2023, at 11:59pm.
The goal of this task force is to review and provide input to the Board of County Commissioners and Tourist Development Council on potential uses of future, unencumbered TDT revenues within current statutory framework.
Organizations interested in pursuing funding once TDT revenues become available and have proposals that align with Florida Statute 125.0104. Florida Statute 125.0104 outlines the authorized uses of the Tourist Development Tax, including:
- Fund publicly owned convention centers, sports stadiums, sports arenas, coliseums, auditoriums, aquariums
- Promote zoological parks
- Promote and advertise tourism nationally and internationally
- Fund convention bureaus, tourist bureaus and tourist information centers
- Finance beach park facilities, or beach, channel, estuary, lake or lagoon improvement, maintenance, renourishment, restoration and erosion control
- While Orange County is currently at 30%, if a threshold of at least 40% of all tourist development tax revenues collected in a county are spent to promote and advertise tourism, a county may use funds to acquire, construct, extend, enlarge, remodel, repair, improve, maintain, operate or finance public facilities if the public facilities are needed to increase tourist-related business activities in that county. Tax revenues may be used for any related land acquisition, land improvement, design and engineering costs, and all other professional and related costs required to bring the public facilities into service. As used in this subparagraph, the term “public facilities” means major capital improvements that have a life expectancy of five (5) or more years, including, but not limited to, transportation, sanitary sewer, solid waste, drainage, potable water, and pedestrian facilities.
The funding interest indicator form is available online. Organizations are encouraged to provide the necessary information through the online application and submit to [email protected].
Funding Interest Indicator forms are due by Friday, May 5th, at 11:59pm and will be discussed at the next TDT Citizen Advisory Task Force Meeting on Friday, May 12th.
Second Meeting – Friday, May 12th at 1pm
Third Meeting – Wednesday, May 24th at 9am
Fourth Meeting – Monday, June 26th at 2pm
Fifth Meeting – Monday, July 17th at 9am
According to Orange County officials, the task force is expected to complete its work by July 2023, and will conclude with a report or presentation to the Tourism Development Council and the Board of County Commissioners on its findings.
