Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersDecember 21, 2016

Airbnb has reached an agreement Wednesday with the Hillsborough County Tax Collector Office, in a deal that could immediately add thousands of dollars in county revenue. Home hosts in Hillsborough will begin paying bed taxes for overnight guests, which is estimated at about one-quarter million dollars a year. Airbnb will collect and remit taxes from 838 […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 22, 2016

Two bills that were big talkers in committees last week passed the full Jacksonville City Council Tuesday night. One bill changed various aspects of the Tourist Development Council. The other bill authorizes a million-dollar federal grant for the Jacksonville Journey. **** The TDC bill went through a number of changes in the committee process last week, but […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 16, 2016

On Wednesday, the Finance Committee of the Jacksonville City Council became the third and final committee to approve revisions to the Tourist Development Council schematic. The bill was approved 5-1, with Aaron Bowman in dissent. A sticking point in committees in previous days was a provision in the bill that the current and most recent council […]

Scott PowersSeptember 9, 2016

In the next move in Orlando’s tourism money chess match, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs has agreed to put $45 million toward finishing Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. The move, assuming Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer agrees and the appropriate boards all sign off, means the postponed-into-limbo final phase known as the acoustic […]

Scott PowersJune 9, 2016

A critical vote on Orange County’s tourist tax Thursday night virtually assured there will be no more changes anytime soon in how that money is spent, and led to a threatening, name-calling confrontation between Mayor Teresa Jacobs and hotel czar Harris Rosen. Rosen is an influential outlier in Orlando’s tourism industry and a big proponent […]

Scott PowersJune 1, 2016

All the bickering this spring about whether Orange County could cough up $1 million a year to get the NFL Pro Bowl may be long forgotten next winter if the game week goes as announced. The NFL made the official announcement Wednesday afternoon that Orlando will host the next three football All-Star Games at Camping […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterApril 15, 2016

Four more Florida counties have worked out agreements with Airbnb to allow the company to collect and remit hotel and tourist taxes. In April, Airbnb began collecting the taxes in Lee, Orange and Brevard counties. The company will start collecting taxes in Hernando County on May 1. “Our community — the vast majority of whom […]

Scott PowersApril 1, 2016

With Orange County’s bed tax flush from record tourism, Orlando’s tourism community wants to see more of that money spent on tourism marketing, the convention center and area sports and arts venues, including the next phase of construction for the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center. The Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association and Orlando’s three major […]

Tag: tourist tax

Airbnb reaches agreement with Hillsborough County over tourist taxes

Jacksonville City Council passes TDC, Jacksonville Journey bills

Duval County TDC tweaks clear final Jacksonville City Council committee

Teresa Jacobs agrees to put tourist tax money to finish Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center

Orange County tourist tax issue headed to ballot

NFL makes official announcement on Orlando Pro Bowl

Airbnb collecting hotel, tourist taxes in more Florida counties

Hotel association, Orlando theme parks pitch for more Orange County tourism tax money