Union members and residents urge Orange County to refocus tourism tax on job quality, housing and local needs

Dozens of public‑comment speakers pressed the Board on June 16 to reconsider how Orange County spends Tourist Development Tax (TDT) revenues, arguing that projects should be evaluated on job quality, local hiring and housing impacts rather than solely on visitor attraction metrics.

Representatives of Unite Here Local 737 and 362 described door‑to‑door conversations with hospitality workers and voters, saying many residents are struggling despite the county’s tourism economy. Ella Wood of Unite Here told commissioners the county could rework TDT project scoring to favor job quality. "You can evaluate projects in a way that asks whether those projects create good jobs," she said, focusing on living wages, benefits and stable scheduling.

Other speakers tied complaints about major employers and legal disputes to funding pressures. Several said Orange County Public Schools has set aside tens of millions in response to property‑tax litigation with major attractions and urged commissioners to consider redirecting tourism‑related revenue toward teachers, housing and homelessness prevention. Commissioner Michael Scott read a private message he’d received from a 25‑year‑old mentee who said, "I'm homeless right now...we're currently on the streets," using the story to urge county action on housing and prevention.

Transit advocates also testified. Representatives from Sunrise Movement and local youth groups called for accelerated work on the STAR rapid‑transit plan, arguing that reliable public transit would expand access to jobs and reduce transportation burdens on lower‑income residents.

What’s next: Commissioners acknowledged the comments and several said TDT priority and evaluation rules are under review by a TDT task force and other working groups; staff said those conversations will continue during the county’s fiscal and TDT planning processes.