Carlos Guillermo Smith and Anna Eskamani plan to file bill over hot-button TDT

An Orange County legislative delegation meeting gave a preview of a showdown that could unfold during the upcoming Legislative Session — how to spend hotel tax money.

Anna Eskamani said she and Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, a pair of Orlando Democrats, are filing legislation “soon to give Orange County more flexibility” on how to spend its tourism development taxes (TDT), a 6% surcharge on hotels and short-term stays that generated $32 million in November alone.

Maitland Mayor John Lowndes asked for lawmakers’ help to free up the TDT to be spent on other needs in the community at Thursday’s meeting. Currently, more than $100 million goes to Visit Orlando, which advertises the region to help draw in more tourists. Meanwhile, some leaders argue some of that money could be spent on public transportation, affordable housing and addressing crime.

“Thanks to state legislation, other counties around the state are already free to spend their TDT revenues on everything from environmental restoration to parks to homelessness to law enforcement, but one county is consistently left out of these expanded uses, and that’s Orange County,” Lowndes said Thursday.

“We collect most in tourism taxes. We have the greatest needs, but we also have the greatest statutory restrictions on how our money can be used. It’s a matter of legislation and political will.”

Eskamani thanked Lowndes for his stance that is fiercely opposed by the hospitality and tourism industry, powerful lobbyists in Florida.

“I do think having the support of more local municipal leaders will help us,” Eskamani told him. “It is one of those topics that attracts a lot of attention, and it’s a heavy lift, but a very important one.”

Later in Thursday’s meeting, Stan Rubins, vice president of external affairs at Visit Orlando, asked the lawmakers to continue investing in VISIT FLORIDA to market Central Florida. He argued that for every $1 Visit Orlando receives, it generates $33 back to the community.

“Your continued commitment to funding VISIT FLORIDA is an investment in job creation, economic growth and a high quality of life for our residents,” Rubins said.

At Thursday’s meeting, state lawmakers heard requests and concerns from high-profile leaders like University of Central Florida President Alexander Cartwright and Orange County Sheriff John Mina down to more obscure elected officials like those on the soil and water conservation district.

For the upcoming Legislative Session, some are asking for more state funding to hire more school resource officers, address homelessness and combat other issues. Lawmakers are also reviewing a proposed local bill over the Sunbridge master-planned community developed by Tavistock. Lawmakers postponed their discussion on the issue.