Voters say "Yes for Jacksonville", approve sales tax for pension debt

Jacksonville voters have signed on to a plan to pay down the City’s massive pension debt.

“This is a historic day for our city,” says Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry.

Tens of thousands of votes separated the sides on this issue, with some 65% of Duval County voters approving County Referendum No. 1, which was backed by the group “Yes for Jacksonville”.

Currently, there’s a half-cent sales tax in Duval County that funds capital projects and runs through 2030. The Referendum allows the tax to run through 2060, with the proceeds in those extended years being used solely for paying down the City’s more than $2.8 billion pension debt.

Curry says the plan provides immediate budget relief because they extend the time to pay the debt, lightening the burden in the immediate years. Opponents argue that shifts the heavy burden to the next generation, but Curry says that's what the new revenue from the sales tax is for.

He also maintained through this campaign that an immediate sales tax wouldn't have been approved by the State, and a property tax increase is difficult to encumber and an undue burden on Duval property owners. That's why Curry says this was the only option.

First, however, it’s to the collective bargaining tables. The City must agree to benefits changes with some of the unions as part of the terms of the tax.