FLORIDA ATTRACTIONS ASSOCIATION

Success for Florida’s attraction industry in tough budget year.

 

2008 Florida Legislative Session – FINAL REPORT

Sine Die - 6:02 pm, Friday, May 2, 2008

 

The Florida Attractions Association was effective in achieving its key goals during the 2008 Florida Legislative Session.  Thanks to the grass-roots efforts of our 200 attraction, affiliate, and allied members, our lobbyists Jim and Barbara Tillman, our Government Relations Task Force, and our staff, we were successful in all four of our legislative priorities.

 

FAA Priority - School Starting Date

 

• Section 1001.42 which provides the opening date for public schools may not be earlier than 14 days before Labor Day each year.  This law was enacted in 2006 but the effective date did not start until the 2007-2008 year to give school districts time to adjust their calendars.

How we fared in the legislative session:

 

• SB 2816 filed by Senator Bill Posey provide school boards may establish an opening date earlier than 14 days before Labor Day after public hearings and with a unanimous vote, and schools that operate year-round or under an extended calendar may also open earlier.  Voted unfavorable by the Senate Education Committee.  No companion bill in the House.
• HB 717 filed by Representative Richter provided public schools may not open earlier than August 15.  This bill was never heard in committee.
• SB 1028 filed by Senator Saunders, the companion Senate bill to HB 717, also provided public schools may not open earlier than August 15.  This bill was never heard in committee.

ü The Florida Attractions Association was successful in opposing changes to the school starting date statutes.

FAA Priority - VISIT FLORIDA Funding

 

• The Governor’s Budget request for the Florida Commission on Tourism was $43.3 million for the fiscal year 2008-2009.
• The House appropriation for the Florida Commission on Tourism was initially $38,889,209.
• The Senate appropriation for the Florida Commission on Tourism was initially $20,299,209.

How we fared in the legislative session:

• The Legislature appropriated $35,549,209 to the Florida Commission on Tourism for the fiscal year 2008-2009.

 

ü The Florida Attractions Association was successful in holding the line on the 2008-2009 VISIT FLORIDA Budget in a year when the state budget was cut $4 billion from the previous year.

 

FAA Priority - Tourist Taxes

 

• In 2006-2007, Florida’s four tourist-related “bed taxes” – the municipal resort tax, tourist impact tax, local option tourist development tax, and convention development tax – generated more than $534 million at the local level.  Revenues from the local option tourist development tax, levied on transient rentals, may be used for certain types of capital construction, tourism promotion, beach and shoreline maintenance, beach park facilities, and athletic, museum, zoo and nature center facilities.  Other tourist taxes may be used to purchase property in areas of critical state concern and to construct and maintain convention centers.

How we fared in the legislative session:

• SB 1322 filed by Senator Siplin would allow local option tourist development tax revenues to be used for economic development purposes to attract high technologies to a county.  This bill was never heard in committee.
• HB 699 filed by Representative Aubuchon was an affordable housing bill.  An amendment was added to allow tourist tax revenues in a high tourism impact county that is designated as an area of critical state concern (Monroe County/Key West) to be used for workforce or affordable housing.  This bill did not pass the House and the companion Senate Bill 482 did not have this language in it.

ü The Florida Attractions Association was successful in opposing any expansion of the statutorily authorized uses of tourist tax revenues.  

 

 

FAA Priority - Commercial Property Tax Relief

 

• The House passed a package of property tax reform bills:  HB 7125 was a constitutional amendment to limit growth in all state and local government revenue to 1% plus the increase in population and the Consumer Price Index; HB 1283 provided the property appraiser shall have the burden of proving his assessment was correct; HB 7005 specified that in any challenge to a property assessment, the property appraiser enjoyed no presumption of correctness; and HB 949 provided that the total combined property taxes on any parcel of real property may not exceed 1.35% of the highest taxable value of the property.  The Senate did not want to consider property tax legislation, saying that recent reforms needed time to work.

How we fared in the legislative session:

• HB 909 relating to value adjustment boards contains a provision revising the definition of “highest and best use”.  The property appraiser will now be required to take into consideration the legally permissible use of the property including any zoning changes, concurrency requirements, and permits necessary to achieve the highest and best use when appraising real property for ad valorem tax purposes.  This will ensure that all property will be assessed on its current use, rather than what it might be used for.

ü The Florida Attractions Association was successful in achieving some relief for commercial property owners.