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Escambia Approves Gas Tax Hike For ECAT
November 19, 2012
The Escambia County Commission approved a four-cent gas take hike this afternoon in order to fund the ECAT bus system.
The increased gas tax is expected to net the county about $4 million when it takes effect no earlier than January 2014. It currently costs the county about $3.2 million to fund the Escambia County Area Transit System, plus about $3.7 million from grants from the state and federal governments.
The tax increase passed on a 4-1 vote, with Commission Kevin White casting the vote against.
Escambia County currently collects 10-cents in tax per gallon — a direct seven-cent levy plus a three-cent levy collected by the state and returned to the county.
Commissioners previously recognized that they were purposefully considering the gas tax increase just hours before two new commissioners — Steven Barry in District 5 and Lumon May in District 3 — are sworn into office on November 20.
Comments
58 Responses to “Escambia Approves Gas Tax Hike For ECAT”
Won’t be buy any more gas in Escambia County, this is pathetic!
REGARDING:
“4 % gas tax ”
Just to be clear, it’s a four cent tax. Four percent of $3.219/gallon would be 12.9 cents per gallon, making it $3.349 per gallon (you know they would keep the .9, they always do for some reason).
Four cents per gallon would raise it from $3.219 to $3.259/gallon.
Terrible, terrible, terrible, but not AS terrible.
David considering differences
Guess my money is going to pace or alabama!! What were we not allowed to vote on this?? Oh I know because we would have said NO!!! Can’t fix Crooked politicians!!!!
4 % gas tax 3 % raise for all county employees. This is nothing !
wait till the county raises your fire tax to hire more paid fireman because the volunteers are dropping out everyday.
Well, I guess it’s true what they say. “You Can’t Fix Stupid”. These County Commissioner’s are nothing more that a bunch of want to be political hack’s that think they have all the answer’s to fix all of Escambia County’s problems. But, instead of fixing our problem’s, they create problems we will never recover from. In the future, I pray they try not to fix any more problem’s. Idiots!!!
A friend of mine made the comment that the next thing they would pull out of the hat would be a love tax. I thought well you do not have much worry much on that one.
I am sick of TAXES on fuel! How can anyone in thier right mind think 4 cents a gallon on gas is a good idea MOST people can NOT afford to live now ! Wages in this area are so low,almost impossible to find a job! Really I am so HAPPY I will NOT be buying gas in Pensacola! Alabama and Pace will see my County tax dollars!
im sick and tired of this county commission shoving crap taxes down my throat. First it was the fire tax (manditory) next it was garbage collection (manditory) now its a gas tax for something i don’t even use. I think its about time to abolish the “good ole boy club” we call a county commission and get some new blood in there.
I go to church in Pace 3 times a week guess where I will be buying ALL my gas from now on.
It is time to right the wrongs that put the current county commissioners in office. It is time for a recall.
I am so tired of paying for a group of no-loads, I suppose we need to move to someplace without a segment of the population being freeloaders. Is there such a place anywhere in our country? Probably not anymore. Besides, Escambia County is my home. Why should I have to consider moving? For a change, let the people who use a service pay for it themselves. I pay for our transportation. We should not wait until 2014 to throw these political hacks out of office except for Mr. White. Surely, by popular demand, another election can be held earlier. Have the two new commissioners publically go on record with their vote. Yes, that would cost, but the taxpayers would have had the final word for a change.
This is another tax they add on us to pay for something for someone else! why not raise the rate of the bus? Most of us have a car payment, insurance and gas to pay for already! Why raise the rate of our prices? I have a car but another statement I would like to make is the bus doesn’t even run out by my house so If I needed to ride a bus I couldn’t. Now I have to help fund it? The people that ride the bus should fund it! From what I am told the buses remain empty most times and they still have to drive their routes wasting gas and this being the reason for the tax. Do away with the bus or raise the rates! Stop raising our taxes to help others live when we need the help ourselves! whos going to look out for us? No one like it has been .
Here is the money for the 3% raise to county employees.
There you have it folks, the new Democracy at its finest, the equalization of everyone. You take money from the “used to haves” and give it to the “used to not haves.” Raising the fares to pay for the bus system only makes sense to those who do not ride the bus on everyone else’s nickel; of course if you are riding the bus you want to spend the least amount humanly possible, you don’t care who is subsidizing the system.
This whole system of taking money from the “used to haves” and giving it to the “used to not haves” will only get worse. Do you think that it’s an accident that only half of the people are paying tax and that the other half are freeloading?
The county commissioners of escambia county blatently disregarded what the majority of citizens wanted on this subject, the majority that attended the meeting as well as the polls were against the tax increase, yet ur elected officials had already made up their minds, for the most part the people who stood up for the tax rate were the ones we saw the ecat employees bussing back home in a large group after the meeting! Please continue to call ur commissioners, email them and show ur anger on this tax
Notice the timing people…the politicians did this right after an election so you’d have the maximum time to forget about the tax increase before the next election. They are counting on you to be mindless sheep following the herd.
Y’all had the chance to vote Robinson out over the sham at the equestrian center but didn’t. Wake up and vote the bums out or form a new county in the northern part of the area.
This is crap why should we that provide our own transportation pay for this they should go up on the bus fare for the passengers that do ride… Really disappointed maybe I should stop driving and just catch the bus I’m paying for it anyway
I totally disagree with this……..Why should “we” the tax payers,who provide our own transportation have to pay for gas hikes ? Why couldn’t they raise the fare for people who use the public transportation system,to help cover the cost(s) needed to continue the service. The majority of us own our vehicles …. pay for them,maintain them and buy our own fuel. I will no longer purchase gas in this county…….I pay more than enough in property taxes each year to support services. I don’t think this is right no matter how you look at it…….and to think a few commissioners decided that “we” need to pay,so someone else can ride for free practically.
After my little rant this afternoon. I will not buy anything from any county commissoners private business. I say boycot Robertson “Paint Store” to start, and then boycot the rest to let them know we are very upset with this group. I thought we the people had some say when it comes to taxes, so I say ‘BOYCOT” them all!!
instead of complaining in this media outlet, why get take action….if your sick and tired of being sick and tired of these pompous blowhards that vote to take more of your money from your pockets, then actually attend the meetings and let them know howyou feel in person ,… not only in their person but out th where everyone else can hear your feelings and comments, everyone that feels the same way may draw strength, courage, and fortitude to actually say something to these crooks, and that is what they are.actually look up, after reading this, the next board meeting and mark on your calender to go and say something , get neighbors and friends to go voice your opinions, do not let them off the hook on this ….mark your calenders and go.. stop wasting time on TV and act now!!!!!
Way to go commissioneers, I think you that voted for it should have to pay for it or lose your job, makes no sense to me what so ever. where is my say so?
you all need some common sense, cause you sure don’t have any. I say fire the whole bunch.
The dang ecat is managed by a outside company. Your telling me we the people in Escambia can not manage to pick people up and drop them off with out a management company?
I’m not sure why every person that lives in and or visits Escambia County has to pay for the fare of individual people that don’t need to buy gas because they hitch a ride on an ecat bus!
As much as I hate another tax… it was this or they would have increased everyone’s Property Tax. At least now some of the tourist will help carry the burden! Oh, but now they can use the Property Tax increase for some other worthless project!
Should have got rid of Wilson Robinson when they had the chance, They don’t know how to get jobs in the county so they go to unfair taxation.
I will buy my gas in Alabama, anywhere but Escambia County.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY FL JUST LOST MY GAS BUSINESS. CAN’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ELECTIONS
why should we pay for this ..hard enough now to fill tanks..I say we bombard the county commissioners office with emails and telephone calls letting them know how up set we are all about this. i will not buy anymore gas in escambia county
Does it not make sense for the ones who use it to pay for it?
obama’s socialism creeps “creaps” a little closer to home. I EXPECT a tax repeal, when the new blood joins the club… We will not forget!!! I think everyone should call ECAT tomorrow and demand that they pick you up at your house…
Congratulations Kevin White for voting against this unfair levy.
My Commisssioner is Gene Valentiono and he’s on my crap
list now. He’s got a lot of “splainin” to do!
Stupid, Stupid! Why didn’t they just make the people that ride the bus pay more! Our tags, registration and insurance continue to go up not to mention up keep on our vehicles….tires,oil changes, plugs…whatever. Next election I will be voting all the commissioners out except Kevin White. Once again the hard working people of escambia county have to foot another bill…My son has to work 3 jobs now to make ends meet..3 jobs. Why dont they take the tint off the windows so we can see how many people are on the bus! Yet they contiinue to run the big bus for a handful of people…Oh well, thats the American way….we all work our butts off to pay for everything others won’t work for! Great job commissioners!!!! Why didnt you listen to the taxpayers of escambia county!
I filled up yesterday in Pace at $2.99 gallon.
Socialism. More weight added to a sinking ship!!!!!!!!!!!!
I live in Atmore but every time I go to P’cola for shopping I always fill up while I’m down there. Looks like I will be filling up here at home from now on.
I will buy my gas in Alabama, and vote for new commmissioner next time
Mygas wnt up,my food went up,my insurance went up, my light bill went up, MY PAY HAS NOT!!!!! A lot of people can’t use bus service(DOESN’T RUN IM NECK OF WOODS0 WHY AM I PAYING FOR IT?
NO ..NO …NO FIRE ALL WHO VOTED FOR
I buy a great deal of things on my trips to alabama. Guess I just found another.
Being in business some 40 years all i have is RAISE TAXES.The only additional tax that made sence was the road improvment tax. Roads were paved that never would have been paved. I would like to know where politicians get the idea that the working class is responsible to house,feed, clothe and now provide more transportation to people that DONT AND WONT WORK FOR WHAT THEY RECEIVE. WAKE UP AMERICA, THIS IS WHY ROME FELL.
If you really represent us, then take a pay cut. County Commissoners make over 70,000 a year so why don’t you start looking at yourself first. I don’t want to hear that you the commissioners will have to pay it to. I can hardly make ends meet now. You lost my vote Grover.
I live in Warrington and I will be happy to go a few miles to buy gas. What happened to putting it to the vote of the people. Just like all the other elections, they will do what they want to.
So how many folks who work in Escambia but live in Santa Rosa will no longer buy gas here? Also wouldn’t be cheaper to offer a voucher for people who use ECAT to take a Taxi rather than give pay all the people @ ECAT ?
Jane said see if Barry can do any better well Kevin White voted no thats all Barry could have done. District 5 is way to big for just one commissioner it needs to be two seperate districts
I agree with everyone. If you can drive to Santa Rosa and get your gas do so. Then when the County Commissioners plan fails to raise the money they will have to reconsider their plans. Why not have smaller buses and ones that run on Natural Gas. Or find out how many riding the bus are actually WORKERS going to work and not welfare recepients going SHOPPING with money we give them through other taxes!!!!!!!!!!!!! We can show the commissioners that Escambia County is not a dictatorship.
Oh we’ll, glad I buy most of my gas in Alabama already. Plus it’s about .15 cents cheaper over there anyway. Glad they think its ok to use our dollars for something most of the county residents do not use.
We the people of the county that work or trying to take care of the City of Pensacola whom do not work. Give me, Give Me and give Me .
Let’s all get our gas in Santa Rosa County or Alabama!!!
Looks like the service is primarily used on the West side according to ECAT stats.
Seems to me they should just cut service to everywhere else and only serve the West side.
That way, the service is going to places where people are actually using it and the rest of the county gets the same poor service as the North end.
A little math makes it more interesting. Ridership was around 1.145 million in ‘10-’11 and Escambia County population is in the 299K range.Assuming there are 250 work days a year and every rider is only going to and from work, you have about 2,290 individual riders daily. The ECAT budget for fiscal year ‘10-’11 was roughly 3.7 million while the total county budget was a hair over 377 million. That is less than 1% of the population of the county receiving roughly 1% of the total budget before this tax increase.
Cut other routes. Focus on the areas that currently use the service. Drop this 4 cent tax. And maybe cut some off the 10 cent tax that the county already collects on gas for this purpose.
Or you could raise bus fare.
But hey, whatever, rabble rabble.
Vote the County Commissioners OUT when they come up for re-election. Lets see if Barry has any better luck than the rest. I say we form our own northend government…anyone out there agree?
Filled up both cars and cans today. In Santa Rosa County.
I will not buy gas in Escambia county again. I don’t care what it cost to drive to S A County. I don’t care if gas is higher. I will do it forever. I Promise. I’m tired of being screwed by this corrupt county.
I will also buy as little of everything I can in Escambia County. I want to work on getting that sales tax down also. I’m not waiting till 2014. I’m starting today.
You can buy gas in Pace (Woodbine Rd) for the same price or cheaper than 9 mile rd. Or take hwy 90 over to Seminole for cheaper gas than you can pay in Escambia. This County Commoner’s cannot manage anything. all they “Know” to do is raise taxes. They are a Sorry bunch!!! Look at Santa Rosa to east and Baldwin County to the west, at least they have something to show for their taxes dollars. Our county commissioners could not pour (anything out of a boot) without tax. Now they have pasted this good ole boy tax on the gas to help pay for the ECAT, take down the window tint so everyone can see what our taxes are paying for!! May be 2 days out of the week our county commissioners should ride the bus to get firsthand knowledge of what our tax dollars are paying for!! All of the county commissioners should hold their heads down by passing this tax, when most of people they represent are working and cannot be present to voice their opinion. This county commission is a JOKE!!
Escambia Co. has to be proud of the CC from California. Another worthless tax to help WHO? If you ride a bus be sure to thank the whole county for your WELFARE. Either buy your gas in SRC or Alabama. Screw the CC in Esc..
“Commissioners previously recognized that they were purposefully considering the gas tax increase just hours before two new commissioners — Steven Barry in District 5 and Lumon May in District 3 — are sworn into office on November 20.”
Because they know that wouldn’t vote for this idiotic tax ? I agree with Renee, Are the people that ride the bus help pay for my car? Up the amount to ride the bus. I understand that people need the buses but they need to pay for the service. The good old boy system at it’s grandest!
That just sucks. Go ahead and raise the price on everything else in Pensacola. Cant hardly pay the bills now while a lot of certain kinds of people get every thing free or at a reduced rate. Every time I see a city bus it only has one or two people in it. Just do away with the damn thing.
I attended the meeting today for the gas tax increase, the meeting was supposed to be so that the commissioners could listen to everyone’s concerns, well of course at the end they say we already voted on it last week and it passed!! The only commissioner that wasn’t for it was mr white! Mr Lewis bear got up and gave a great speech about how he owned a big company in Pensacola and he had lots of vehicles and he was still for the tax for the betterment of the county, but what everyone failed to tell the public is that diesel wasn’t included in the tax, I wonder how many gas powered trucks deliver beer? Then one of the commissioners declared he was very pleased with mr bear’s response but that wasn’t only reason he voted for the increase!
The commissioners blatantly still voted for the tax increase even though a citizen reported chan 3 news poll that 90 percent of of escambia county citizens opposed the gas tax, so there you go folks get ready to pay up!!
I hope that when the two new county Commissioners get in office they vote to do away with this gas tax. It is not fair to tax people who do not used it.
I say raise the price for them to ride the bus. They dont help me pay for my gas or help with my car payment, so why on earth should i have to help fund the ECAT system. Its not Fair!!
So how many times a day will the bus run not only to Century, but make routes all over north Escambia County? NONE. Again, Pensacola is “spreading the burden” across the county for the people of Pensacola.
I say raise the price of gas in Pensacola 10cents a gallon and leave North Escambia alone. If you’re north on Molino, you do not get much of this service anyway.