State: Voters okay 8 of 9 tax increases

ORLANDO -- Florida has long deserved its reputation as a land where taxes are low and citizens fight hard to keep it that way. In Orange County, for example, civic and education leaders tried in vain for two decades to raise taxes to save crumbling schools.

But a notable change happened in the Sept. 10 election. Local voters statewide agreed to tax themselves, with the money going toward education, needy children and roads.

Of nine local option taxes decided, eight passed.

"That's fairly unprecedented," said Dominic Calabro, president and chief executive officer of the nonpartisan research institution Florida TaxWatch.

With a proposed constitutional amendment on the Nov. 5 ballot that would almost assuredly increase taxes by limiting the number of students in Florida public school classrooms, last week's results are being studied to divine the political future.

"What it proves is (people) are willing to be taxed if they believe and have confidence that the money will be spent as promised," Gov. Jeb Bush said. "Local option taxes to build specific things, by and large, pass in our state because of that. They're tangible things; they're not building bigger bureaucracy."

Orange County's half-cent sales tax increase to improve schools will bring in an estimated $2.7-billion over 13 years and was the state's largest measure. But other taxes will also raise big dollars:

-- Miami-Dade voters approved a half-cent per $1,000 property tax for Children's Trust, a collection of child care, education and health programs. It will bring in $55-million annually.

-- Escambia County voters okayed a five-year extension of a half-cent sales tax for schools. In the previous five years, that tax raised $70-million.

-- Flagler County was the site of two tax increases. A half-cent sales tax measure will raise $17.7-million for county schools, and another half-cent sales tax will provide $17.7-million for roads in the city of Palm Coast as well as produce revenue for the county and four other municipalities.

Other measures passed in Putnam County (a penny sales tax for infrastructure improvements), Martin County (a 2 percent tax on hotel and motel rooms for tourism promotion) and Union County (a property tax increase for library improvements).

The only tax shot down was in Union, where voters rejected another property tax increase for a softball complex.

Why the voters passed these taxes is a complicated combination of harsh reality, a better sales pitch, the political calendar and citizens' trust in government.

In Orange County, there was no question that the school system needed help. The region's population boom strained the system's infrastructure, resulting in too many students crammed into too few classrooms. The problem's symbolic picture was a field of portable classrooms.

Susan Landis Arkin, chairwoman of the Orange County School Board, said that once people realized the situation's seriousness, half the battle was won. After that, she said, the debate was how to pay for fixes and determining the district's priorities.

The counties' pitches to voters also were helped by an emphasis on who would pay. Of the eight measures that passed, six are sales taxes that hit tourists as well as residents. Martin County's bed tax will soak visitors even more.

Said Calabro: "There's an axiom in taxation, that if you rob Peter to pay Paul, you can always count on Paul's support."

Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas said voter trust played a large part in the Children's Trust tax passing. "If the money's being controlled back at home, they can touch these (politicians) and vote," Penelas said. "Maybe there's that sense, 'If it ain't working, we'll get rid of them."'

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Lucy Morgan

From the Times state desk