ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Visit Orlando on Tuesday defended its handling of funds before the Orange County Board of Commissioners, responding to a recent comptroller’s audit that accuses the organization of mishandling millions in Tourist Development Tax dollars.
Dozens of residents attended the meeting to hear the report and voice their concerns.
“Our taxpayer dollars shouldn’t be misused,” Chared Aguirre, a member of Local 737 — the union representing more than 19,000 hospitality workers — told the board.
Aguirre said the benefits of the region’s thriving tourism economy are not reaching frontline hospitality employees.
[RELATED VIDEO: Visit Orlando faces scrutiny over tax dollar use]
According to Visit Orlando, tourists spent $94.5 billion in Central Florida last year.
Commissioner Mayra Uribe said the Orange County Comptroller’s audit found evidence that Visit Orlando misused close to $20 million in public funds. It concluded that TDT dollars were commingled with private monies, a practice the county asserts violates the terms of the contract governing use of the tax revenue.
The TDT is levied on hotel stays and provides a major funding source for tourism marketing and development. Visit Orlando receives hundreds of millions of dollars from the tax.
“There’s taxpayer dollars that have to come back; this is not up for negotiation,” Uribe told News 6.
Cassandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando, said the organization is willing to work with the county, but disputed the audit’s findings.
“We believe we were in compliance with our agreement,” Matej said. “Some of the recommendations are new ways of doing business and I think that is where the gray is, because we are looking at what is classified TDT and non‑TDT.”
[RELATED VIDEO: Visit Orlando faces scrutiny over tax dollar use]
Commissioners questioned whether modifications to Visit Orlando’s 2019 contract are needed to remove ambiguities. Uribe urged changes to ensure clearer standards and stronger safeguards.
“We need to fix it because we need to make sure that this can’t ever happen any more in the future,” she said.
Mayor Jerry Demings said the board would take time to determine a plan of action in response to the audit’s findings.
Aguirre said hospitality workers will continue to monitor the process closely.
“The Visit Orlando audit needs to be taken very seriously” she said.