Local

SJC Commission- which nixed sales tax- to consider fee hike

It was just a few weeks ago that St. Johns County Commissioners decided not to put a one-cent sales tax on a ballot for you.

But we’ve learned that may not be the end of the discussion on what you will pay in to the budget.

The Commission meets Monday at 1:30 PM for a budget workshop. Vice Chair Jeb Smith tells WOKV the County still has some gaps in funding needs, like for road work, parks, libraries, and agricultural services.

“The discussion that’ll be had- whether to cut or supplement with fees,” Smith says.

He says, currently, the revenue they’re expecting to receive from existing fees and taxes is higher than had been initially projected, but he doesn’t believe it’s going to cover all of their needs. That means any fee increase or cuts they had initially considered won’t be as severe, but they will still likely exist.

The one-cent sales tax had been proposed as a source of funding for capital projects, like road repairs. If the Commission approved it, it still would have been up to you to have the final vote, but the Board did not ultimately move the proposal forward.

Since that time, the School Board has passed their own push for a half-cent sales tax to meet the fiscal demand of the student enrollment growth. It's now awaiting action by the Commission and then would still, also, have to be put on a ballot for your final say.

Monday’s meeting of the Commission is a workshop, so Smith says no definitive action will be taken.

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