Orange County commissioners are set to vote Monday at 12:30 p.m. on a sprawling $836 million spending plan built entirely from tourist tax dollars, with nearly half the money earmarked for a single downtown Orlando arts complex. The proposal, assembled by outgoing Mayor Jerry Demings, bundles 13 projects ranging from a new museum in Eatonville to a soccer stadium expansion at the University of Central Florida, all paid for by the county's 6% tax on hotel and vacation rental stays.
The single largest piece of the package is $400 million for the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, which had originally requested $750 million, according to WKMG. That money would be bonded by the City of Orlando to help finance a multi-block master plan that includes new indoor and black box theaters, an outdoor amphitheater and a parking garage, according to Orlando Shine. One supporter told the station that the arts are an important part of the community, underscoring the venue's broad local backing even as its share of the overall pot draws scrutiny.
The money comes from a tax pool that just hit record highs. Orange County collected a record $384.6 million in Tourist Development Tax revenue during the 2024–25 fiscal year, the most of any county in Florida, per the same WKMG report. That followed an even sharper spike in March 2026, when the county recorded its highest monthly collection in history at $42.9 million, driven by spring break travel and conventions like MegaCon, according to the Orange County Comptroller.
UCF's Stadium Request Survived a Task Force Snub
Not every project in the plan sailed through smoothly. UCF would receive $46 million to expand its soccer stadium and build a track facility, after the university's original request — which also included broadcast upgrades and a new softball stadium — was omitted from the county's 34-member citizen advisory task force shortlist in August, per WKMG. Demings added the project back into his recommended package anyway, a move Orlando Shine flagged as a key point of friction between the mayor's office and the task force's own priorities.
Eatonville's share of the plan centers on an $85 million museum of culture and history proposed for the historic Hungerford property, with WKMG reporting the county's recommended funding at $60 million alongside a separate $20 million for an Eatonville heritage tourism district. Dr. Phillips Charities has pledged $20 million of its own money toward the museum and agreed to donate the land back to the town, according to the Orlando Business Journal.
Stadium Parking and New Eco-Tourism Grants
Florida Citrus Sports agreed to trim its request for a new Camping World Stadium parking structure from $54 million to $52.5 million so the project would fit within the mayor's adjusted numbers, reports The Orlando Real. Other projects in the 13-item list include a children's museum in Winter Garden and additional grants for arts and ecotourism, per WKMG.
The plan also carves out new long-term grant money beyond the named venues. Starting in fiscal year 2028, it would establish two 10-year, $50 million county grant programs — one for Natural Resource Tourism Infrastructure and one for Eco-tourism — totaling $100 million, according to the same Orlando Real report. Overall, Demings' $836 million proposal splits into $645.5 million for capital facilities and $190.5 million for multi-year community and cultural grant programs, the Orlando Business Journal reported.
Why the Money Can't Go Elsewhere
The tourist tax itself comes with legal guardrails that shape every item on the list. Under Florida Statute 125.0104, the revenue is restricted to tourism marketing, convention centers and tourist-attracting venues, meaning counties cannot spend it on general civic needs like public housing, schools or local road repairs, according to Moffa Tax Law. That restriction is part of why debates over the funds — including local legislative pushes to expand what the tax can cover — have become a flashpoint in nearby Central Florida races, a dynamic Hoodline has previously covered in its report on the Orlando-area House race.
Commissioners are scheduled to take up the plan Monday at 12:30 p.m., but WKMG notes the spending package is not yet final. The timing adds pressure to the review: Demings' term as mayor concludes December 7, giving commissioners a narrow window to shape a package that will steer Central Florida's cultural and sports infrastructure spending for years to come, according to the Orlando Business Journal.
