Orange County's tourist tax task force is set to tackle a range of proposals, including the ambitious plan to bring Major League Baseball to Central Florida. The Orlando Dreamers, a group with a renewed push, seeks $975 million in tourist tax funding to build a new 45,000-seat stadium. This proposal, among 24 others, highlights the potential for significant public investment in tourism promotion. The tourist development tax, often called a 'bed tax', is a 6% levy collected from hotel and short-term rental stays, generating substantial revenue for Orange County. The Dreamers' pitch emphasizes Orlando's infrastructure, media market size, and lack of major league sports teams, arguing that a stadium would bring in $32 million in tax revenue and create 52,000 jobs. However, the task force's review process is rigorous, ensuring that only applications meeting specific criteria advance. This scrutiny is necessary to ensure responsible use of the tourist tax revenue, which is vital for promoting tourism and public investment in Orange County.
