This week, the Florida Legislature began a series of Special Sessions in Tallahassee by taking up and approving a new Congressional Redistricting Plan. This special session was held on Tuesday, April 28, and Wednesday, April 29 and now the Governor will consider signing the measure into law. Regardless, legal challenges are expected following its adoption, as the revised districts are poised to create downstream impacts on federal, state, and local elections throughout the Central Florida region and across the state.

 

Next, a second Special Session, focused exclusively on the state budget, will take place from May 12 through May 29. The process will begin with conference committee meetings from May 12 - 15, where the House and Senate subcommittee negotiators will work to resolve budget differences. Any outstanding issues will then move to the full conference appropriations committee chairs for final reconciliation. Following Memorial Day weekend, legislators are planning to return to Tallahassee to vote on the final budget -completing the process and establishing the state’s funding priorities for the upcoming fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026.

 

CFHLA’s primary focus will remain on the budget Special Session as we continue to monitor the final movement of our top priority issues, including the Tourist Development Tax (TDT), education, transportation, infrastructure, and housing funding initiatives, Visit Florida funding, and property taxes. Once the budget is finalized and all Special Session policy matters are concluded, CFHLA will provide a comprehensive Post-Legislative Session Report. We remain optimistic about closing out the Session strongly on behalf of our industry’s priorities - so stay tuned.

After a recent mayoral runoff election in Apopka, voters selected Apopka City Councilman Nicholas L. Nesta III as the city’s next mayor with a victory over Orange County Commissioner Christine Moore. Nesta secured 61.94% of the vote, compared to Moore’s 38.06%. The outcome marks a clear shift in leadership for the city, with turnout in the runoff reaching about 20% of eligible voters.

This month, CFHLA’s Governmental Affairs Committee held its April meeting at the DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando Theme Park Resort (Thank you Jason Lopez, General Manager, CFHLA Treasurer and GA Committee Chair).

The meeting featured City of Orlando Commissioner Tony Ortiz, District 2 as the special guest speaker. Commissioner Ortiz provided several updates on the key local policy priorities facing District 2, including economic and workforce development, infrastructure needs, and public safety concerns. We are grateful for Commissioner Ortiz's time and for his continued alignment with the priorities of Central Florida’s hospitality and tourism industry. This alignment underscoring the importance of strong collaboration between the City of Orlando and our industry to support sustainable growth and a vibrant visitor economy.

 

Also in attendance were members of the newly created NextGen Leadership Council, who had the opportunity to observe and participate in CFHLA’s advocacy efforts for the first time. Their engagement marks an important introduction to the organization’s advocacy efforts, as council members deepen their involvement in industry advocacy and leadership development throughout the year.

Earlier this month, CFHLA President/CEO Robert Agrusa was invited to present in front of the Lake County Tourist Development Council, by formally introducing the association and highlighting our growing role across Central Florida region.

The presentation focused on strengthening collaboration between CFHLA and Lake County, with an emphasis on identifying shared priorities, opportunities to promote further tourism to our destination, and further alignment on workforce development and training for the industry.

By fostering this new partnership, both CFHLA and Discover Lake County, Florida hopes to grow a thriving tourism economy that will benefit our Lake County hoteliers and their team members, local small businesses, and the broader community.

CFHLA recently attended the “State of Real Estate: Orange County” event, hosted by the Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association, which brought together industry leaders, elected officials, and community stakeholders to discuss the current trends and outlook of the local housing market. The program provided attendees with timely insights into the challenges and opportunities shaping Orange County’s real estate landscape, including housing supply, affordability, and continued regional growth.

 

The discussion emphasized the importance of data-driven decision-making and cross-sector collaboration as Orange County continues to experience rapid development and population growth. Overall, the event served as an important platform for aligning industry perspectives and reinforcing housing affordability is a priority that will help guide sustainable growth across Central Florida’s real estate and tourism-driven economy.

Additionally, CFHLA attended a luncheon hosted by the Tiger Bay Club of Central Florida featuring former Congressman and gubernatorial candidate David Jolly and former state legislator and attorney general candidate Jose Javier Rodriguez.

 

The luncheon brought together business and civic leaders for a constructive and wide-ranging discussion, on the future of Florida and the most pressing issues facing the state. This included economic growth, public safety, education, and affordability. Both of the candidates also spoke to how their respective policy approaches would aim to support the needs of Central Florida residents, businesses, and workers.