November collections were "the highest ever collected for the month of November," Haynie says. In October, collections totaled more than $9.6 million, the highest amount the county has collected for October since the tax was started in 1979.
The county finished its last fiscal year Sept. 30 by posting a record $111 million in room tax collections, up 19% from $93.3 million collected in 2003. The previous high was $108.2 million in fiscal 2000. September collections totaled $8.1 million, up 30% over September 2003.
The monthly tax collection numbers are monitored by hospitality industry consultants, real estate developers and hotel investors as a barometer of the area's tourist market's health. The bulk of the revenue is used to promoted the tourism market and to pay off bond issues on the four-million-sf Orange County Convention Center, second largest in the country.
Now, however, other civic organizations are lobbying the county to receive a portion of the tax revenue to help their own projects. For example, the Orlando Magic want a new or renovated arena in which to play their National Basketball Association games. Football supporters want to upgrade the 70,000-seat Florida Citrus Bowl.
The arts backers are clamoring for the development of a promised $200-million Downtown performing arts center. And non-events activists want the county to use some of its hotel-motel tax revenue to improve roads, build new schools and increase the police force.
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