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Public commenters urge Orange County to redirect some tourism tax revenue toward homelessness and housing
Summary
During public comment, residents asked the board to allow more flexible uses of Tourist Development Tax revenue to address homelessness and housing, citing daily TDT receipts and local needs; commissioners explained legal limits and noted existing county homelessness spending.
Several residents used the meeting's public comment period to urge the Board of County Commissioners to repurpose some Tourist Development Tax (TDT) revenue to address homelessness and housing needs.
Alan Levi told the board he believed the county had collected about $358.2 million in TDT and proposed using roughly 3% of those receipts to convert the former Kaley Avenue Work Release Center into shelter space for people experiencing homelessness. His comments criticized current uses of TDT funds and urged redirecting a small share to local housing and shelter projects.
Kathleen Fitzgerald, who said she had reviewed the county's 2026 legislative priorities, urged commissioners to lobby the state to allow greater local flexibility for TDT uses so counties could offset tourism‑related infrastructure costs and free general funds for housing programs. Other public speakers described the challenges of hotel/motel conversions, short‑term rentals and housing affordability in the county.
Mayor Jerry O'Demings and staff noted the county has allocated more than $50 million this year to homelessness programs and that state law places limits on eligible uses of TDT revenue. The mayor said the board would continue to pursue a mix of local policy changes, budget adjustments and private‑sector partnerships to address homelessness while complying with state law.
No formal policy change was adopted during the meeting. Commissioners asked staff to continue exploring options and to include homelessness funding in the broader fiscal and legislative context as the county develops its budget and legislative asks.
