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Pinellas County legislators voted 6-2 Thursday for a bill that would allow voters to swap property taxes for higher sales taxes for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority.
PSTA officials support the bill because they think the swap is necessary to eventually persuade voters to raise the sales tax 1 percentage point for new buses or rail. If the full Legislature approves, the County Commission would still have to vote to put a sales tax increase on the ballot.
But even opening the door for voters to consider a higher sales tax or rail triggered conservative opposition during a legislative delegation meeting in downtown St. Petersburg.
"What is the business plan for PSTA? I don't know because nobody came and met with me. … I think there is a significant opportunity for this to be a tax increase on the citizens of Pinellas County," said state Rep. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, who voted "no" with Rep. Larry Ahern, R-Seminole.
"A sales tax is an incredibly regressive tax," Brandes added.
The measure is sponsored by state Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater. A companion measure in the House is sponsored by state Rep. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater.
They scoffed at criticism, suggesting it was overblown, and downplayed any groundwork that has been laid for a sales tax.
Hooper has suggested the county could instead wait for the existing Penny for Pinellas to expire and switch it to transit projects, though no PSTA plan has included it. Passing it can stop the PSTA from "double dipping," they said. If the PSTA wants to raise sales taxes, the bill would require it to drop property taxes.
"By a show of hands, how many of you paid property taxes for the buses not to bring you here today?" Hooper, being ironic, asked the crowd.
Arms shot up in the Palladium Theater. Some giggled.
"This is not supporting or endorsing any tax increase whatsoever. There is no tax increase in this bill at all," he added, echoing Latvala.
For the full article, visit the St. Petersburg Times.
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