Things To Do In SW Florida

Tourist-tax collections slid in November compared to a year ago, continuing a downward trend.

November’s year-over-year decline was the seventh such drop over the past eight months, said Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond, whose office monitors collections of the 6% levy added to short-term lodging costs.

Receipts for the month totaled $29.6 million, about $1.24 million or 4% lower than last November.

But that performance was actually better than anticipated.

“We are definitely still doing pretty well,” said Diamond, who forecast a drop of 7.5% in tourist-tax revenue in 2023-24. “When you compare it to last year, which was the greatest of all tourism years ever, there’s just going to be some fall off.”

Collections have totaled $59.1 million for the first two months of fiscal year 2023-24, which began Oct. 1.

The figure exceeded expected collections by about $4.1 million.

Diamond said the extra money will help offset future expenses associated with projects and programs approved for tourist-tax funding recently by Orange County commissioners, including a convention center expansion estimated to cost over $600 million and an addition to the University of Central Florida’s football stadium. read more

By Kimberly Palmer | NerdWallet

The first workday in January after the holidays hits a little bit differently: The parties are over, debt payments are soon due and it can feel like there’s nothing to look forward to.

You may be able to minimize the doldrums with some planning and other steps to turn things around, financial experts say.

“Financial stress can be temporary,” says Tonya Rapley, financial educator and founder of the millennial money and lifestyle blog My Fab Finance. She suggests focusing on small steps such as paying this month’s bills, then reminding yourself that you can recover from December’s overspending.

Here are a few more ways to fight this month’s financial downers:

Make or update a budget

The new year is a great time to create or update a budget, which can give you back a sense of control, says Mike Croxson, CEO of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, a nonprofit financial coaching organization.

The popular 50/30/20 budget, for example, suggests putting 50% of your take-home income toward needs, 30% toward wants and 20% toward savings and debt paydown. You can adjust those percentages as needed, especially if you live in an urban area with high housing costs. read more