Jon Costello, who has been with Gov. Rick Scott since his 2010 campaign and has served as legislative affairs director since the inauguration, has submitted his resignation.

The governors office announced that Costello, 31, will still be serving Florida by taking a position on the board of directors for the Northwest Florida Water Management District.

Scott called Costello a loyal member of my team and will be missed.

Jon has been a trusted adviser and an invaluable member of my team going back to my days campaigning to become governor, Scott stated in a release.

Buoyed by relatively strong economies, especially in Latin America, overseas tourists flocked to Florida in recent months, with the number of foreign visitors jumping by 10 percent for the quarter ending June 30.

The year-to-year increase in overseas visitors came atop steady domestic travel numbers, a combination Florida's top tourism official said has put the state on track for a banner year.

The Florida Association of Counties isnt trying to twist arms, but it needs members along the Gulf Coast to decide rather quickly on the formation of a consortium to handle the federal cash for Deepwater Horizon oil disaster-related restoration projects.

While members seemed to support the idea, details of any unified effort remain unknown, including whether the eight most heavily impacted counties -- those that have pushed federal officials the hardest for the RESTORE Act -- should be separated out from the other 15.