Compared with October 2001--the first month after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks--October 2002 numbers are 30.1% up from the $6.64 million collected last year.

"While collections are up 30%, we must keep in mind that collections for last October were down 28%," county comptroller Martha O. Haynie says in a prepared statement. "However, if we compare this month's collections to those of October 2002 (our highest October collections of record), we are only down 5%, which indicates October 2002 was a fairly strong month."

"In light of the many prognostications of doom and gloom for the tourism industry (in Central Florida), these numbers are good news," says Steven M. Ekovich, vice president/Florida regional manager, Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Co. of Florida.