The Chairman Wants A Recommendation On Whether To Repeal Or Keep Collecting The Tax.
Should Orange County continue to collect the tourist tax to build a Major League Baseball stadium if a team isn't on the immediate horizon?
That's the issue Orange County Chairman Linda Chapin wants the community and tourism officials to debate next month.
Last week, Chapin announced she wants to consider repealing the tourist tax increase from 4 to 5 cents on the dollar that went into effect Feb. 1.
That's the issue Orange County Chairman Linda Chapin wants the community and tourism officials to debate next month.
Last week, Chapin announced she wants to consider repealing the tourist tax increase from 4 to 5 cents on the dollar that went into effect Feb. 1.
The tax, collected on all hotel, motel, timeshare and campgrounds, will raise about $13 million this year, $8.1 million for a stadium if Orlando wins a team.
After baseball owners didn't award an expansion team to Orlando this month, Chapin started having second thoughts about continuing to collect the tax. On Wednesday, she asked the Tourist Development Council, which advises county commissioners, to give its recommendation.
The public will be invited to air its views at the tourist council meeting, tentatively slated for April 12 or 19.
''I think it is a very important public policy issue,'' Chapin said. ''There are plenty of options for how to spend the tax, and there are plenty of people who want to discuss this issue. This is the best forum to do it.''
Plenty of debate is expected.
Pro-baseball factions, led by would-be team owner Norton Herrick and Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood, will argue not to tinker with the tax. Any wavering sends the wrong signals to baseball owners about the city's big-league aspirations, they say.
On March 9, baseball owners awarded expansion teams to Tampa Bay and Phoenix. They start play in 1998. Orlando is in the running for the next wave of expansion; two more teams could be awarded to start play in 2000 or 2001.
Herrick says the community has already shown its support of baseball and the resort tax increase. He points out that the increase was already ratified by local hoteliers, the tourist council, the Orlando City Council and the County Commission - all after Chapin survived a nasty re-election bid in which her opponent made baseball and the tax a key issue.
Under the current plan, if Herrick doesn't win a team, the money set aside for stadium construction would be used to retire debt on the Orlando Arena and Florida Citrus Bowl and then the fifth cent would sunset in 2000.
''I don't know anywhere in America where you go back and redo something that was so unanimously agreed to. For what? Why?,'' Herrick said. ''The absolute worst case for the city and county is we don't get baseball and they still have all of the money in place to pay down the (Citrus Bowl and Arena) debt.''
Another faction of tourism leaders will likely argue to keep the tax in place, but for different reasons than Herrick.
Besides the $8.1 million a year set aside for the stadium, the fifth cent also generates $4.8 million for expanding county convention center operations, new tourism ads and money to promote the annual Citrus Bowl football game.
After baseball owners didn't award an expansion team to Orlando this month, Chapin started having second thoughts about continuing to collect the tax. On Wednesday, she asked the Tourist Development Council, which advises county commissioners, to give its recommendation.
The public will be invited to air its views at the tourist council meeting, tentatively slated for April 12 or 19.
''I think it is a very important public policy issue,'' Chapin said. ''There are plenty of options for how to spend the tax, and there are plenty of people who want to discuss this issue. This is the best forum to do it.''
Plenty of debate is expected.
Pro-baseball factions, led by would-be team owner Norton Herrick and Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood, will argue not to tinker with the tax. Any wavering sends the wrong signals to baseball owners about the city's big-league aspirations, they say.
On March 9, baseball owners awarded expansion teams to Tampa Bay and Phoenix. They start play in 1998. Orlando is in the running for the next wave of expansion; two more teams could be awarded to start play in 2000 or 2001.
Herrick says the community has already shown its support of baseball and the resort tax increase. He points out that the increase was already ratified by local hoteliers, the tourist council, the Orlando City Council and the County Commission - all after Chapin survived a nasty re-election bid in which her opponent made baseball and the tax a key issue.
Under the current plan, if Herrick doesn't win a team, the money set aside for stadium construction would be used to retire debt on the Orlando Arena and Florida Citrus Bowl and then the fifth cent would sunset in 2000.
''I don't know anywhere in America where you go back and redo something that was so unanimously agreed to. For what? Why?,'' Herrick said. ''The absolute worst case for the city and county is we don't get baseball and they still have all of the money in place to pay down the (Citrus Bowl and Arena) debt.''
Another faction of tourism leaders will likely argue to keep the tax in place, but for different reasons than Herrick.
Besides the $8.1 million a year set aside for the stadium, the fifth cent also generates $4.8 million for expanding county convention center operations, new tourism ads and money to promote the annual Citrus Bowl football game.
Theme park giants such as Walt Disney World are expected to argue to maintain the fifth cent for new tourism promotions.
''Our position is that the fifth cent is a really important source of advertising and promotion dollars which we really need,'' said Bill Warren of Walt Disney World.
Bill Davis, general manager of Sea World, said his organization supports collecting the portion of the fifth cent that will pay for the convention center, new promotions and the Citrus Bowl game.
Davis said leaders should consider suspending that part of the tax dedicated to baseball and reinstating the tax if Herrick wins an expansion club or buys a team.
Another key group is the Central Florida Hotel-Motel Association, which represents most of the properties generating the tax revenue. The group, which gave a mixed but positive endorsement for baseball last year, meets today to discuss Chapin's call to repeal the tax.
One tourist council member is awaiting the hotel group's decision.
''I feel that the hoteliers have a great deal of input,'' said Cathy Kerns, a 20-year local tourism advocate. ''If they were vehemently opposed to it (the fifth cent), I'd have to listen.''
Kerns supports keeping the fifth cent, but restructuring the payoff to reduce Citrus Bowl and Arena debt and spend more for the convention center and tourism advertising.
''Promotion in this community is devastatingly needed,'' Kerns said. ''We need to start fighting for our lives as an industry.''
''Our position is that the fifth cent is a really important source of advertising and promotion dollars which we really need,'' said Bill Warren of Walt Disney World.
Bill Davis, general manager of Sea World, said his organization supports collecting the portion of the fifth cent that will pay for the convention center, new promotions and the Citrus Bowl game.
Davis said leaders should consider suspending that part of the tax dedicated to baseball and reinstating the tax if Herrick wins an expansion club or buys a team.
Another key group is the Central Florida Hotel-Motel Association, which represents most of the properties generating the tax revenue. The group, which gave a mixed but positive endorsement for baseball last year, meets today to discuss Chapin's call to repeal the tax.
One tourist council member is awaiting the hotel group's decision.
''I feel that the hoteliers have a great deal of input,'' said Cathy Kerns, a 20-year local tourism advocate. ''If they were vehemently opposed to it (the fifth cent), I'd have to listen.''
Kerns supports keeping the fifth cent, but restructuring the payoff to reduce Citrus Bowl and Arena debt and spend more for the convention center and tourism advertising.
''Promotion in this community is devastatingly needed,'' Kerns said. ''We need to start fighting for our lives as an industry.''
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