6/15/1983 - Laserfiche WebLink

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DISCUSSION - OPTIONAL GAS TAX Commissioner Scurlock reported that the Transportation Planning Committee held two meetings.at which they discussed a possible Gas Tax. Their approach was to request each municipality to address their views on a gas tax by a Resolution, and the result was that the municipalities split with Sebastian and Fellsmere favoring the tax and Vero Beach and Indian River Shores opposed. As far as the County is concerned, it appears that we can accomplish within our budget the majority of the programs outlined by Public Works Director Davis; so, there is no desperate need to move ahead aggressively to pay an additional tax. There was considerable discussion, however, in regard to the possible advantage of restructuring our taxes, i.e., transferring the burden from ad valorem to a user -type fee. (10 would bring in approximately $216,000 and 4� over $800,000.) Commissioner Scurlock pointed out that there are a large number of people using our roads who are other than taxpayers. This, however, presents the question of what is the real impact. The truckstops in the county along I-95, for instance, sell a large volume of gas and there is the possibility this new tax could affect the 5th and 6th cent gas tax because of a decrease in the volume of sales. It is also obvious that the different municipalities are faced with very different needs and different problems. Commissioner Scurlock continued that although the committee is unwilling at this point to recommend implementation of any new tax, they felt it is premature to make a final decision. They are, therefore, recommending that we form a study committee within our own administrative staff to analyze the possible impact of such a tax, not only on gasoline sales, but as to transfer of the burden of taxes and to equate any transfer to the reduction of taxes, study 37 BOOK 3 PAGE 727 ,7