DOVER, Del.- Kent County is not moving forward on plans to implement a controversial lodging tax that would have directed revenue collected on hotel stays to the nonprofit that owns a sports complex near Frederica.

The decision announced Thursday afternoon follows a request by State Sen. Trey Paradee (D-Dover) for county commissioners to hold off on implementing a lodging tax of up to 3 percent to fund DE Turf. The senator was a chief sponsor on the legislation authorizing the county to impose the hotel tax.

Per the enabling legislation passed in June, revenue from the tax would have gone directly to the Kent County Regional Sports Complex, which owns and operates the DE Turf sports facility near Frederica.

The county has not yet approved the tax in its own code and was set to discuss the plan on Tuesday during a meeting that has since been canceled.

"In accordance with Senator Paradee’s request, Levy Court Leadership has postponed consideration of the matter of a County lodging tax until after the General Assembly has had time to consider contemplated revisions to the state law," said county spokeswoman Kelly Pitts.

In a statement issued Thursday, Paradee said he planned to file legislation allowing the county to collect a lodging tax of up to 3 percent. The revenue under the revised hotel tax would go to the county government, rather than the nonprofit that runs the sports complex.

Under the new lodging tax plan, Paradee said county commissioners would still have the ability to decide whether revenue should go toward DE Turf but would make that decision themselves, rather than be forced by law to give that money to the sports complex.

"Clearly the public has spoken and I think it's time to put on the brakes and re-assess this and that's why we're going to be doing some different legislation," he said in an interview.

Paradee's statement said he made the request in part because of increased scrutiny over his brother's ownership interest in land near DE Turf and position on the Kent County Regional Sports Complex's board of directors.

"I categorically reject the false narrative that my family plotted to pass this bill. The truth is it was proposed by board members of the DE Turf and backed by members of Levy Court," he said.

Paradee said he was approached by DE Turf officials about sponsoring the enabling legislation for the lodging tax near the end of the legislative session after a failed attempt by Sen. Colin Bonini to include the plan as part of legislation that funds Delaware's capital investments.

Bonini did not respond to a call seeking comment for this story.