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Tourism Development Tax (TDT) Senate Opposition Key Points

Last week, the Florida House passed HB 1221 and HB 7033 as part of the budget package. If passed during this week's Senate budget negotiations, these bills would severely damage Nassau County’s economy and Florida’s overall prosperity.

WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW!

Please contact Senator Clay Yarborough with the following message and tell him we cannot afford to lose visitors, jobs, or tax revenue. We do not know when this budget package will be voted on by the Florida Senate, but we must reach out immediately to encourage Senator Yarborough to support Nassau County jobs and oppose this legislation. 

Key Impacts of HB 1221 and HB 7033:

  • 75% of Tourist Development Tax (TDT) revenue would be redirected to property tax credits.
  • All Tourist Development Councils (TDCs) across Florida would be dissolved by the end of the year.
  • Minimal property tax savings would come at the cost of catastrophic economic damage.

Local Impacts on Nassau County:

  • Tourism is critical to Nassau County’s economy: supporting beaches, the environment, the arts, quality of life, our historic downtown, and Amelia Island lodging partners.
  • More than 400 small businesses and over 12,700 local jobs depend on tourism.
  • Nassau County’s tourism has a $949 million annual economic impact.
  • In 2024, 38.7% of all Nassau County sales tax ($46.4 million) was directly tied to tourism businesses.
  • 100% of daily Amelia Island beach cleaning is funded by visitors through tourism revenue.
  • A loss of events like: Shrimp Festival, Dickens on Centre, the Chamber Music Festival, Songwriters Festival, and more.

Threats to Local Governance:

  • Dissolving the TDC would remove local decision-making power over tourism promotion and spending.
  • Local governance and community oversight have been key to Florida’s tourism success.
  • Decisions should be made by communities that understand our own needs, not mandated by Tallahassee.

The Bigger Picture:

  • The Tourist Development Tax is a self-imposed, industry-supported tool to grow local economies.
  • Every dollar spent on tourism marketing generates almost $113 in sales tax revenue, business growth, and job creation.
  • Florida’s tourism model has delivered six straight years of record-breaking success — a model that should not be dismantled.

In Closing:

  • Please consider the wide-reaching, damaging effects of HB 1221 and HB 7033.
  • Protect Nassau County and Florida’s tourism economy by opposing these harmful bills.
  • Ask your colleagues to support Florida jobs and not support this job killer.
  • Thank you for your attention and continued service to Florida.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Call Senator Yarborough at 850-487-5004 and tell him to oppose this language.

Sample Phone Script:

Hi, this is (YOUR NAME) from Nassau County.

I'm calling to respectfully ask Senator Yarborough to oppose HB 1221 and HB 7033.

These bills would take away tourism funding that supports more than 400 small businesses and 12,700 local jobs in Nassau County. Every $1 spent promoting Amelia Island brings back almost $113 to our economy — this isn’t a tax cut, it’s a job killer.

Please help protect Nassau County’s economy and keep local tourism decisions in local hands.

Thank you so much for your time and for everything you do for our community!

AND consider sending this email to Senator Yarborough TODAY:

YARBOROUGH.CLAY.WEB@flsenate.gov

And CC his Legislative Aide, Kellie Walker: Walker.Kellie@flsenate.gov

Dear Senator Yarborough,

Last week, the Florida House passed HB 1221 and HB 7033 as part of the budget package. If these bills move forward during final budget negotiations, they could cause serious harm to Nassau County’s economy and Florida’s tourism success story.

As a proud resident of Nassau County and someone who deeply values what tourism brings to our community, I’m asking for your help in opposing this legislation. HB 1221 and HB 7033 would redirect 75% of Tourist Development Tax (TDT) revenue away from tourism promotion and dissolve all local Tourist Development Councils (TDCs) by the end of the year. While these changes are framed as property tax relief, the actual savings would be minimal—while the economic losses could be significant. Visitors, not residents, pay the TDT, and every $1 spent marketing Amelia Island brings nearly $113 back into our economy. This isn’t a tax cut—it’s a job killer.

Tourism is truly the heartbeat of Nassau County. It supports over 400 small businesses and more than 12,700 local jobs. In 2024 alone, nearly 39% of Nassau’s sales tax revenue—about $46.4 million—will come from tourism businesses. And visitors fund 100% of the daily cleaning of our beautiful Amelia Island beaches.

Taking away local control by dissolving our TDC would harm communities like ours, where we know best how to take care of our own economy and future. Florida’s tourism model has delivered six record-breaking years, and we shouldn’t jeopardize that success.

Senator Yarborough, I respectfully ask you to stand with Nassau County and protect the local economies that make Florida so special. Thank you so much for your time, your leadership, and for listening to our community’s concerns.

Sincerely,

Name

Hospitality Employer

 

If you have any questions on the bill or how you can help, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Maurie Dugger, Director of Community Engagement, at the Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau, at mdugger@ameliaisland.com or 904-277-4369.

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