State Representatives Blaise Ingoglia (R, District 35, part of Hernando County), Bryan Avila (R, District 111, part of Miami-Dade County) introduced a bill on Dec. 29, 2016 that would limit the placement of sales tax referendum to general election ballots. Joe Gruters (R, District 73, part of Sarasota and Manatee counties) is a co-sponsor. Ingoglia sponsored a similar bill in 2016 which passed the House 95 to 19, but died in the Senate.
On Jan. 11th, the bill was referred to the Local, Federal and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, Ways and Means Committee and Government Accountability Committee.
Senator Greg Steube (representing parts of Sarasota and Charlotte counties) filed an identical companion measure in the Senate on Jan. 6, 2017.
In Hernando County, the half cent sales surtax for school district capital outlay expenditures was passed by voters on September 8, 2015 in a special election. That election saw a 21.22% voter turnout while the 2016 General Election on Nov. 8th received a 73% voter turnout. In the Nov 2014 General Election which saw a 52% voter turnout, a “penny” sales tax referendum was turned down by voters in which half a cent would have gone to the county and the other half to schools.
The proposed legislation describes conditions for the following surtaxes:
CHARTER COUNTY AND REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM SURTAX
LOCAL GOVERNMENT INFRASTRUCTURE SURTAX
SMALL COUNTY SURTAX
INDIGENT CARE AND TRAUMA CENTER SURTAX
COUNTY PUBLIC HOSPITAL SURTAX
SCHOOL CAPITAL OUTLAY SURTAX
EMERGENCY FIRE RESCUE SERVICES AND FACILITIES SURTAX
PENSION LIABILITY SURTAX