Pasco County commissioners have cleared up to $250,000 in tourist tax dollars for a film or series rooted in Florida cultural heritage, with scenes shot in the county.

The Board of County Commissioners adopted Ordinance 26-37 on Tuesday, Sept. 22, updating the county's 2024–2028 Strategic Tourist Development Plan. The Florida Department of State filed the ordinance on Wednesday, Sept. 23, making it effective immediately.

Chairman Jack Mariano and County Clerk and Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles signed the measure, which passed with a quorum present. Individual vote tallies were not listed in the ordinance document.

The new law adds two spending categories to how Pasco uses its 5% tourist development tax, collected on short-term lodging.

The first is a one-time expenditure of up to $250,000 to support production of a film, documentary, or episodic series based on what the ordinance calls "a work of established Florida cultural heritage, widely recognized as depicting the settlement, environmental history, and cultural identity of the State." The production must include principal photography or promotional work in Pasco County and demonstrate a direct connection to the county's heritage, natural assets, or historical narrative.

The ordinance does not name a specific film, production company, or project. It does not identify a particular book, screenplay, or other source material. The provision reads as an eligibility framework, setting criteria for how the money can be spent rather than directing it to a known production. How and when the county selects a qualifying project will be determined through the annual budget process.

The second new category authorizes operational support for a museum that is publicly owned or run by a nonprofit organization open to the public. Eligible spending covers visitor-facing staffing, building maintenance, exhibit development and marketing tied to tourism promotion.

Pasco's tourist development tax has grown over the decades. Commissioners first adopted a 2% levy in 1990, raised it to 4% in August 2017 and increased it to 5% in April 2022. Revenue already funds the Destination Management Organization for Florida's Sports Coast, debt service on the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, capital project reserves, event sponsorships and media advertising.

The Pasco County Tourist Development Council recommended the five-year strategic plan in November 2023. Commissioners adopted an earlier update, Ordinance 24-22, in April 2024. Ordinance 26-37 layers the film and museum provisions on top of that framework.

Specific dollar allocations for both new provisions will be set through the county's annual budget process. Residents can follow upcoming commission meetings on the Pasco County Government website for details on when those budget discussions are scheduled.