Florida’s embattled economic development agencies signed contracts with the state Wednesday to post contract information, salaries and audits online.
Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida, public-private groups that lure businesses to the state with tax incentives and pay for tourism advertising signed a contract with the Department of Economic Opportunity pledging to post the information on their websites. The move comes as the groups come under intense pressure from lawmakers in the wake of the scandal surrounding a secret $1 million contract awarded by Visit Florida to Miami rapper Pitbull.
The House approved a bill earlier this month to eliminate Enterprise Florida and impose new strictures on Visit Florida, requiring it to seek legislative approval for contracts worth more than $750,000.
The contract signed Wednesday by Enterprise Florida calls for it to post its intention to enter into a contract worth more than $1 million online five days before the contract is signed. The Visit Florida contract calls for a $500,000 threshold.