Pinellas Mayor Wants to Debate Florida Senator Over STR Bill

6/4/2024

For more than two months now, a measure passed in the Florida Legislature that would give more state control over the regulation of short-term rentals (STRs) remains stuck — it hasn’t even been sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis for his consideration on the bill. Now, a Florida mayor in the Tampa Bay area is challenging the bill sponsor to a debate over the measure. Redington Shores Mayor David Will sent a letter to Pinellas County Republican Sen. Nick DiCeglie last week asking for him to accept his invitation to meet somewhere in the county soon to debate the merits of the proposal. “Since the best way to bring out the positives and negatives of legislation is through education and debate, I would like to invite you to debate the merits of Senate Bill 280 with me in a public forum hosted at a location here on the Pinellas beaches where your interested constituents could attend,” Will wrote in a letter to DiCeglie dated May 24. “Since it would be beneficial to have the debate in advance of the Governor’s consideration of the bill, I would appreciate it if you would find time in your schedule now that session is over to have the debate in the next two weeks.”

Florida Phoenix (05/28/24) Mitch Perry