Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the State Legislation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Auburndale hears legislative update: funding wins for Lake Ariana Park, tourism tax elimination eyed
Summary
Dave Shepp of the Southern Group briefed the commission on 2025 state legislative outcomes, including funding support and state land transfer for Lake Ariana Park, and warned of an initiative that sought to eliminate the Tourist and Development tax that could affect Visit Central Florida and Polk County sports marketing.
The commission heard a presentation from Dave Shepp of the Southern Group summarizing the 2025 Florida legislative session and its outcomes for local priorities. Shepp highlighted state budget items addressing affordable housing, transportation, cybersecurity, the environment, tourism and economic development, and said the city’s priorities received attention including funding for improvements at Lake Ariana Park and a proposed state land transfer of park property to the city.
During questions, Mayor Dorothea Taylor Bogert asked about the status of the Tourist and Development tax and whether an effort to eliminate it might succeed and affect local tourism marketing. Shepp summarized the initiative and said it “is something to keep an eye on,” noting that eliminating the tax could affect Visit Central Florida and Polk County sports marketing funding. Commissioner Keith Cowie asked whether cities could contact members of the Select Committee on Property Taxes; Shepp said they could and identified Representative Jon Albert as a local member.
Commissioners also queried legal impacts from Senate Bill 180, which was described as limiting a local government’s ability to impose regulations that are “more burdensome”; City Attorney Frederick J. Murphy Jr. said SB 180 is retroactive from Aug. 1, 2024 through Oct. 1, 2027 and that its undefined terms create uncertainty for local regulation.
