It’s distressing – but not surprising – to hear that tourism-dependent businesses in Osceola County are angry about how the County Commission has spent tourist development tax reserves over the last few months.

We are reporting in this issue of the News-Gazette that a Tourist Development Council member has said lodging business owners as well as restaurant and gift shop owners have told him they believe the commission has put spending for projects that generate overnight stays – especially those related to sports – at the bottom of its priority list.

We can’t disagree that the biggest generator of jobs in our county are those businesses that deal with tourists, like it or not, and it behooves us as to spend to put “heads into beds.”

Industry concerns, as reported by council member George Chen, include not enough money spent on promotions of the county through the Kissimmee Convention & Visitors Bureau, not enough bureau-industry partnerships to allow local lodging businesses to have a larger presence at trade shows and spending that will not generate overnight stays.

Questions were raised about the potential for various projects to generate tourist taxes, including a new military history museum at Osceola Heritage Park. We also were cautious about supporting the $7.5 million investment in eight amateur sports ball fields in Harmony, which hoteliers, in general, support.

We’ve also heard that funding for a new freight elevator at the Silver Spurs Arena – part of $3.9 million total spending at Osceola Heritage Park – didn’t sit well with tourist-related businesses, either.

County Commissioner John Quiñones, a tourist council member, has suggested the commission hold a workshop with lodging industry reps to “bring forth ideas.” The council already held a workshop to establish its priorities, and the veterans museum wasn’t anywhere near the top. But sports was, and the commission used the money that was left in the reserve pot to fund a sports endeavor. And it was Quiñones who promised the commission would give more consideration to council recommendations.

One other thing bothers us. Taxpayers now will have to pay to relocate the visitors bureau, which the military museum will displace and the cost of which was never really discussed. The bureau’s executive director recently said he has no idea where the agency might move. The county should have had a relocation plan in hand before funding the museum.