Nightclub and Alcohol Sales Code Update
Summary
Venue owner Eric Fuller and the National Independent Venue Association asked the council to repeal the AMS police fee, saying 23 venues pay millions to fund officers who patrol a 57-venue district while arenas, stadiums and hotels are exempt. Commissioner Burns asked staff for more information on the fee's history.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 1
- Last 30 days
- 1
Discussed at 1 meeting in the last 60 days; most recently Oct 26, 2026.
Impact analysis
Downtown venues pay monthly prepayments of roughly $10,000 each for off-duty police, with citywide billing approaching a half-million dollars for some single venues.
Repeal would relieve the roughly two dozen bars and venues currently paying the fee; as written, the fee funds downtown patrol officers.
Independent venue owners say the six-figure annual fees are driving closures — they claim 10 or more of the 39 billed venues have shut down.
Mentions & discussions (2)
City Council Meeting
Venue owner Eric Fuller and the National Independent Venue Association asked the council to repeal the AMS police fee, saying 23 venues pay millions to fund officers who patrol a 57-venue district while arenas, stadiums and hotels are exempt. Commissioner Burns asked staff for more information on the fee's history.
City Code Updates to Nightclubs and Alcohol Sales in Downtown
City Code Updates to Nightclubs and Alcohol Sales in Downtown City of Orlando (.gov)
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