Title
RESOLUTION NO. 19R-11-263: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF LAUDERHILL, FLORIDA ENCOURAGING MEMBERS OF THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE TO APPROPRIATELY FUND AND PASS SENATE BILL 362 AND HOUSE BILL 213 TO REAUTHORIZE VISIT FLORIDA FOR AN ADDITIONAL EIGHT (8) YEARS; PROVIDING FOR FINDINGS; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE (REQUESTED BY MAYOR KEN THURSTON).
Body
Request Action:
Pass a Resoluton to encouraging the Florida Legislature to fund a pass SB 362 and HB 213 to reauthorize Visit Florida for an additional 8 years.
Need:
To support legislature to extend the Visit Florida program for an additional 8 years.
Summary Explanation/ Background:
VISIT FLORIDA is invaluable to our state’s economy and its taxpayers. Right now, VISIT FLORIDA is only authorized to exist until July 1, 2020. However, bills have been filed in both the House and Senate to reauthorize VISIT FLORIDA for an additional eight years - SB 362 by Senator Ed Hooper and HB 213 by Representative Mel Ponder. If the Legislature does not affirmatively pass legislation this session to reauthorize VISIT FLORIDA, the organization will cease to exist and Florida’s tourism industry will go silent on the national and international stage. Florida’s tourism community needs to speak up and let the Florida Legislature know that ending VISIT FLORIDA is not a risk worth taking. VISIT FLORIDA is a public-private partnership established by the Florida Legislature in 1996 to promote and market Florida as a destination to travelers. VISIT FLORIDA’s budget comes from publicly allocated tax dollars. VISIT FLORIDA is required to match the public funds dollar-for-dollar, which is done by actively recruiting the state's tourism industry to invest as partners through cooperative promotion of local Florida destinations and the state. Through a variety of partnerships with more than 13,000 businesses across the state, VISIT FLORIDA’s programs promote Florida destinations small and large, rural and urban in al...
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