Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster
Gov. Rick Scott made the pitch for an aggressive tax cut plan, saying Florida leaders need to run the state like a business to continue to attract jobs — and job seekers — to the Sunshine State.
The Naples Republican kicked off his 2017 Jobs Summit in Orlando on Thursday. Similar to his 2016 Degrees to Jobs Summit, the two-day event is meant to bring together business and community leaders to discuss economic and business development.
But it’s also a chance for Scott to try to build a coalition of support for his fiscal 2017-18 budget proposal. That spending plan, which Scott officially rolled out earlier this week, included $618 million in tax cuts and $8 million in fee reductions.
“If we want jobs in this state, our taxes have to be lower; we have to have to have less regulation; we have to have government at the city, county and state government level that says ‘I want to solve your problems,’” said Scott.
Scott’s tax cut plan includes cutting the tax on commercial leases by 25 percent in 2018. Florida is the only state in the nation that has a tax on commercial leases, and there has been support for a tax cut in years past. According to the Governor’s Office, the cut could save businesses $454 million a year.
His proposal also includes a one-year sales tax exemption on college textbooks and four sales tax holidays, including a 10-day back-to-school sales tax holiday. His proposal to reduce fees includes reducing the building permit surcharge from 1.5 percent to 1 percent; eliminating sales and use tax registration fees; and reducing fees associated with commercial driving schools.
Those reductions might help businesses down the line, but it could come at a cost to the state’s coffers. While Scott has said there is plenty of money to accommodate his tax cut proposal, state economists project the surplus could be closer to $7.5 million.
“It’s an ambitious tax cut,” said Rep. Jim Boyd, chairman of the House Ways & Means committee. “I don’t know that our numbers are showing the same as his our right now, but certainly I’m interested in cutting taxes.”
Scott, who has also asked for $85 million for economic incentives, called on business leaders to appeal to lawmakers to support his proposal.
“I want to make sure that everyone in the state has a job,” he said.
