Sales tax for transportation on ballot in 2024? Mayor Demings: ‘I will not rule it out’
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Beginning his second term as Orange County government’s chief executive, Mayor Jerry Demings said Tuesday he would not rule out another push to persuade voters to raise the local sales tax to narrow an estimated $21-billion gap for transportation improvements.
The mayor discussed challenges facing the county — including transportation funding deficits — during a briefing after a ceremony in which he and three other victorious commission county candidates took their oaths of office at the Convention Center.
About 60% of county voters rejected a referendum Nov. 8 to boost the sales tax by a penny-per-dollar despite his appeal for it.
“I’m sad that the transportation sales tax did not pass but we still have the challenge of being a growing community with nearly 1,000 people moving here each week that is going to continue putting a lot of pressure on our transportation infrastructure,” he said.
Demings, who was publicly confident the 1% tax increase would pass, blamed the loss on “some extraordinary things.”
By law, a tax issue may appear only on a general-election ballot and the next one is in November 2024, two years away.
Demings said he still believes a sales-tax increase is the best way to fund the county’s transportation needs.
The defeated sales tax increase was projected to raise about $600 million a year with tourists shouldering half the load.
“We couldn’t have predicted we would experience a hurricane right before the election. We couldn’t have predicted we would continue to see high inflation. We couldn’t have predicted rent prices would go through the roof like they did here within this community. I don’t know about 2024,” Demings said. “Circumstances will dictate whether or not that is a viable option for us. I don’t have a crystal ball.”
“But I will not rule it out,” he said.
Joining the mayor on stage Tuesday were commissioners Christine Moore, Maribel Gomez Cordero and Michael “Mike” Scott.
Moore, whose district includes the cities of Apopka, Eatonville and Ocoee, and Gomez Cordero, whose south Orange district includes Lake Nona, Meadow Woods and Union Park, won reelection to their seats. Scott, leader of an Orlando mentoring organization, will represent Pine Hills, International Drive and Tangelo Park, replacing term-limited District 6 Commissioner Victoria Siplin.
Despite the defeat of his proposed sales-tax increase, Demings promised to keep working on transportation problems.
“Our ability to move vehicular traffic efficiently will only worsen if we do nothing,” he said.
The mayor said his other top priorities include addressing the affordable-housing crisis.
He said he hoped to create more opportunities for affordable-housing projects by changing some regulatory rules.
Demings said county commissioners have focused on rent-burdened residents in other ways, including petitioning the Florida Supreme Court to review lower court rulings that have prevented a rent-cap ordinance approved by voters Nov. 8 from taking effect.
He said county attorneys also are drafting a tenant bill of rights.
The measure aims to create an office of tenant advocacy, funded by taxpayers, to help renters and landlords settle disputes.
