ST. JOHNS, Fla. — Voters in St. Johns County have the option to check yes or no for a one cent sales tax increase on the November ballot.
If voters approve, the sales tax in St. Johns County would be raised by one cent per dollar spent, from 6.5 to 7.5 cents.
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If the referendum passes, county leaders anticipate $50 million each year would be generated, for $500 million over the 10 year duration of the tax.
The program has a sunset after 10 years and could only be extended by another vote by the people.
The proposed hike comes as county leaders are working to fix a $500 million backlog in infrastructure needs.
“If we don’t address it, we’re just kicking the can down the road,” said County Commissioner Henry Dean.
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St. Johns County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Florida and the United States.
Between 2010 and 2020, the total population increased by 44%.
Dean said the referendum is not for new development in the future. It’s for the backlog of infrastructure that’s been created over the last 15 to 20 years.
He said the 2015 commission attempted to vote to put this up for a referendum and it failed 3-2.
“As a commissioner, I feel an obligation to address the problem of the $500 million backlog in infrastructure as we sit here today,” Dean said. “The best way, in my opinion, to do that is to ask the voter to vote yes or no.”
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Cheryl Knutsen moved to St. Johns County six years ago from the Washington, D.C. area.
“I don’t have any issue with that as long as it’s used for what they say it’s going to be used for,” Knutsen said.
Kenneth Susterka has lived in Ponte Vedra Beach for 10 years.
“I already filled out my ballot,” Susterka said. “I sent it in and I voted no.”
Susterka said taxes are already too high.
“First, put in the roads with the present taxes that you have and then build the apartments,” Susterka said. “Don’t build everything, then say now we need infrastructure, and now we have to raise taxes.”
Here’s a list of future projects the sales tax will fund -- road widening, sidewalks, drainage, public safety, parks and libraries.
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“I do not want to increase the mileage rate on homeowners and businesses,” Dean said. “In my mind, that leaves me two options: either we can increase the sales tax by one penny for 10 years or we can do nothing. If we do nothing, we will see our quality of life deteriorate because of all the capital projects that won’t get done, because we do not have the money to do these projects that have built up over the last 15 years as a backlog.”
St. Johns County is hosting its first Sales Tax Educational Town Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 25.
The event will take place in St. Augustine from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m at the St. Johns County Auditorium, located at 500 San Sebastian View.
The second Sales Tax Educational Town Hall will take place in Ponte Vedra Beach from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Players Senior Community Center, located at 175 Landrum Lane.
Hear full interview with Henry Dean:
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