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Orange County approves $25 million, five‑year film incentive program funded by TDT; staff to post administrator role
Summary
The board approved an ordinance establishing a Tourist Development Tax‑funded film and television incentive program: $5 million per year for five years (total $25M), minimum spend thresholds and rebate caps, and an Orange County film‑incentive administrator to manage compliance and awards.
Orange County commissioners voted Nov. 18 to establish a five‑year, tourist‑development‑tax‑funded film and television incentive program, approving a program framework staff says is designed to attract commercial, television and feature‑production activity and keep local film graduates and crew working in the county.
Economic development staff recommended a $5 million per‑year incentive fund for five years (a $25 million program) and the creation of an Orange County film‑incentive administrator to manage applications, compliance and funding agreements. Roseanne Harrington, who led the county’s film incentive working group, told the board the program is intended to be performance‑based and tied to hotel room‑nights and documented local spending.
Under the structure presented, eligible commercials would face a $250,000 Orange‑County minimum local spend with a 10% rebate capped at $50,000; film and television productions would have a $400,000 local‑spend minimum and a 20% rebate capped at $1,000,000. Reimbursements are rebates: no county dollars flow until after productions document compliance and an audit of claimed local spending.
Harrington said the tourism‑promotion rationale is explicit: because the program uses TDT revenue, production applicants must demonstrate hotel room‑nights connected to the production and provide marketing material that highlights Orange County locations. The Tourist Development Council had unanimously recommended the program; the board approved the ordinance and asked staff to post the administrator job immediately and return a standard‑operating‑procedure and selection criteria for grants and funding agreements.
Industry and education leaders filled the public‑comment period in support. Speakers included local film‑industry executives, representatives of unions and UCF students and faculty who said the incentive would keep talent and jobs in Orlando. John Lux of Film Florida and other producers told the board comparable county programs in Florida have demonstrated measurable hotel nights, local spending and workforce retention.
County staff said metrics from recent region permitting show 425 permitted production days and approximately $17 million in direct production spend in the prior year; the fund is intended to attract more of that business and to create stable local opportunities for graduates of film programs. Commissioners discussed administration, proof and auditing requirements and signaled ongoing oversight of the award process.
The board approved the ordinance and directed staff to bring back standard operating procedures and funding agreements for board review; staff expects to open applications in 2026 once procedures and the administrator are in place.
