United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Florida House speaker sues Tampa over ‘illegal hotel tax’
Florida House speaker Richard Corcoran is suing the city of Tampa alleging it impose an illegal tax on hotel rooms.
The City recently approved and began charging a $1.50 fee for stays at downtown Tampa and Ybor City hotels to help fund tourism marketing.
The ‘fee’ which the city says is not a tax, is charged at check-out and not added into the room rate.
It is expected to raise about $1.5 million for marketing which is controlled by the Hillsborough County Hotel and Motel Association.
The hotel association’s executive director Bob Morrison says it is a special assessment district ‘fee,’ and not a tax so is permitted without authorization from the state legislature.
Corcoran called it an underhand way to avoid scrutiny.
"Florida is second to none as a tourism and economic development destination. Many local agencies do great work to keep Florida in that position. Some, however, continue to waste taxpayer dollars and then insist that taxpayers have no right to see what their money is being spent on," he said.
"To say that this is one of the most egregious cases of spitting in the face of the (state) constitution is an understatement," Corcoran added.
The fee currently only covers about a dozen hotels but the City of Tampa had planned to expand it.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence
Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy
Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Boy falls to death on cruise ship
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Storm Lilian travel chaos as bank holiday flights cancelled