Mike Horner
Chamber

presidentOsceola County should revamp the Kissimmee Tourist Development Council (TDC) to more wisely use Tourist Development Tax dollars.

The Tourist Development Tax is a 6 percent tax on hotel rooms intended to support Osceola County’s largest employer and biggest taxpayer: the tourism industry. Funds collected from this tax are supposed to be used to attract additional tourists and build our hospitality economy. Unfortunately, the county has often diverted those dollars to build community amenities that may be popular with voters, but are of little help to the tourism economy.

Our neighbor, Orange County has invested the lion’s share of its Tourist Tax dollars on a convention center that has been an enormous boon to hoteliers.  By contrast, Osceola County has never spent capital dollars west of John Young Parkway, where the hotels are. Instead, Osceola has spent its capital dollars on Osceola Heritage Park, ball fields and boat ramps far away from the tourist corridor. When the nation’s economy was stronger, the hospitality industry could succeed with limited help from the tax dollars intended to support it. Unfortunately, our tourism sector can no longer endure this neglect.

The Tourist Development Council is the entity responsible for advising the County Commission on tourism. Florida Statute requires that TDC members “shall be persons who are involved in the Tourist industry and who have demonstrated an interest in Tourist Development.” Regrettably, the county has often appointed community activists to the council instead of tourism officials as intended. More troubling, the County Commission often neglects consulting the TDC when expending Tourist Tax monies, and when asked to take a position, the TDC is frequently vague and unclear.

The Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce is recommending some important changes to improve the county’s decision-making process for the use of tourist taxes:

1. Require any issue relating to tourism policy or the expenditure of Tourist Taxes come first to the TDC for a recommendation of favorable or unfavorable.

2. Require the TDC’s recommendation be included in the commission agenda.

3. Require the chairmanship of the TDC be subject to a limit of no more than two consecutive one-year terms.

4. Limit TDC members to two consecutive four-year terms.

5. Adhere to the statutory requirements of TDC membership.

To be clear, our county commissioners have always tried to do the right thing when balancing the needs of the tourism industry and pressure from local groups lobbying for community projects.  But, in large part because of a flawed process, our hospitality industry has suffered unnecessarily. By improving the process, commissioners will see better proposals and citizens will see a better return on investment of tax dollars.

Unemployment in Osceola County is over 12 percent — we need to support our top employer. Property tax revenues for Osceola County are down 20 percent since 2008 — we need to help our county’s primary taxpayer. Our current County Commission has shown a willingness to take bold action to help our economy. It is time for them to once again step up and protect jobs.

Mike Horner is president of the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce.