A.G. Gancarski
The Florida Senate briefly discussed the Discretionary Sales Surtax bill (SB 1652) on second reading Tuesday ahead of a vote that would allow Jacksonville to impose a pension tax via referendum if the bill passes.
The bill, if approved, would allow a referendum in Duval County this year regarding extending until 2060 the half-cent Better Jacksonville Plan infrastructure sales tax from its sunset date, no later than 2030, to help defray the $2.6 billion unfunded pension liability. In the process, the current defined benefit plan would be closed, and a defined contribution model would extend to all new hires going forward.
A 10 percent employee contribution would be required. Additionally, the Police and Fire Pension Fund Board of Trustees would be barred from collective bargaining negotiations of pension benefits, which actually accords with practice in Jacksonville since June 2015’s pension reform. These amendments, discussed during Senate Rules, were adopted to make the bill conform with that of the House, and the House Bill was substituted.
The House version of the bill passed 86 to 23 in February. Bill sponsor Rob Bradley noted in a conversation with FloridaPolitics.com last week that he was “actively involved in negotiating the House bill so that the bill would be in a position to be taken up and passed by the Senate.” Indeed, that was the case.
A measure of the smooth sailing ahead: There was no discussion of the bill when it was moved to the third reading calendar for its floor vote.
