Mitch Perry
A bill limiting the placement of local sales tax referendum to primary or general election ballots advanced Monday through the Florida Senate Community Affairs Committee.
The intent of the bill (SB 278), sponsored by Sarasota Republican Greg Steube, is to maximize participation in elections.
Last year, a similar bill from Blaise Ingoglia passed the House but died in the Senate. The Spring Hill Republican is once again carrying the bill (HB 139) in the House.
An amendment was introduced that would allow local governments to hold a tax referendum on an off-year election cycle (such as 2017), as long as the tax increase was “revenue neutral.”
The bill was approved, but not everybody was pleased.
Amber Hughes of the Florida League of Cities said her group (as well as the League of Counties) had worked closely with Ingoglia on the bill. The League was “very appreciative” Steube had added language about allowing a referendum in an off-year election.
But Hughes objected to the term “revenue neutral,” saying it was far too ambiguous, and probably a poison pill designed to make sure that such a vote never came up in an off-year-election.
“Given that tax bases grow,” Hughes said, “I think that would never really be an option for the counties or the other levying entities to take advantage of, so at this point, we are opposed to the substitute amendment.”
“My intent is just to get more voters involvement in these issues that are raising taxes on our citizens,” Steube told the committee.
