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Legislative Delegation To Consider Century, ECUA, Pensacola Requests
January 29, 2013
The Escambia County State Legislative Delegation will meet Thursday to decide if three local proposals will be presented for action to the full 2013 Regular Session of the Florida Legislature.
The proposals were submitted by the Town of Century, the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority and the City of Pensacola.
Century is requesting a bill that permit the town of opt-out of a four-cent gas tax approved last year by the Escambia County Commission. Scheduled for implementation in 2014, the tax is expected to net about $4 million countywide for mass transit.
Century officials contend the new tax is unfair to North Escambia residents and may force the three gas stations in Century to close as they force drivers choosing to purchase lower priced gasoline across the state line in Flomaton.
ECUA is seeking legislation that would allow it to purchase fuel without state sales tax under the same terms as municipalities and counties. ECUA is also requesting management audits be required every five years, rather than the current three year period.
The City of Pensacola is looking for more flexibility on pension plans. Specifically, the city wants a state law called the Pensacola Civil Service Act repealed. Although reenacted in 1984 as a special act, the law had its origins in the 1931 Charter of the City, a charter that was repealed and replaced by referendum of the voters on October 8, 2009, when the current charter was adopted.
Escambia County’s legislative delegation, consisting of Sen. Greg Evers, Rep. Clay Ford, and Rep. Clay Ingram, will meet Thursday at the University of West Florida, Building 90, at 5 p.m.
Comments
14 Responses to “Legislative Delegation To Consider Century, ECUA, Pensacola Requests”
To @Gigi
If you seriously claim that your pay has not changed in 20 years, then you need to get another job.
Terri, I don’t understand what you are trying to say. You said that “If we can start picking and choosing what taxes we pay, then it should all become user paid.”
Well, aren’t we supposed to have a say in what gets taxed in this country? Our pay is the same as it was 20 years ago, but everything else keeps going up. They add taxes and tariffs to the end of EVERYTHING now. Everybody thinks they have a right to a piece of my earnings. Does this mean that they do?
Terri Sanders, These buses are available to you any time you want to use them. The emergency room I went to, was paid by me and my insurance company. I don’t call scuba diving on a commercial boat from a commercial dock, attending and participating in auto racing and going to a health club, boring. Bur, I pay for all those things. Of course you fail to get my point. The point was, we all pay taxes for things we don’t use. If we can start picking and choosing what taxes we pay, then it should all become user paid.
REGARDING:
“To be against all taxes, IMO, is to be anti-America.”
Perhaps, but it isn’t anti-America to oppose specific taxes even if they are used for good things. (And I haven’t decided about these particular ones.)
Another way of putting it is that people don’t have to favor any and all taxes to be good Americans.
David for considered selectivity
Look, it has been reported previously that there were a LOT of taxpayers angry about having to fund ECAT for a number of reasons. Very few riders of those very large buses being the primary one. Four cents per gallon is a lot of money over the course of years to fund systems used by so few. If I decided to ride the bus, I would have to buy my ticket. If someone can correct me, I think only 1 of the commissioners voted against it. They need to be held to account for just doing what THEY wanted to do for whatever reason THEY had. The last time I checked, this was a democracy.
Adam;the things you listed are there should you ever decide to utilize them.Just like an emergency room ..it is there 24/7 just in case.you must lead a boring life..if you have never used any of the things you listed.i have utilized and enjoyed ALL of those things and enjoyed and was grateful they were available.
I live south of Nine mile road. I have never rode any public transportation in Escambia County. I have never had a child in public education. I have never used a boat ramp or any public recreational facilities. I have never been in a public library, nor many other County funded things. Why should I have to pay tax for any of those things. They should all be privatized and paid for by the users.
A tax to support the buses is just another way to provide welfare. I don,t use the bus and resent having to help fund it.
I agree we need to elect some public officials who can relate to the common everyday taxpayer. We need some officials that are willing to take care of the People and not their own pockets. Having a mayor that was a model with a college degree sure makes him qualified. Hey, he looks good on camera and that’s what makes the difference right? He has done more that the ones before him still he falls way short of progress. Our big job contracts go to Mobile and Alabama gas is almost 10 cents cheaper than Escambia County. Pretty sad that people are having to take the business out of the county and State due to political greed and mismanagement. To heck with the family name game and let’s start from scratch with some real grounded politicians that will deliver for a change.
Any tax to fund the bus system is worhtless. The system looses money every year and has few riders. Let the few that use the bus pay for it and for the union drivers that won,t more all the time. What a ripoff for all the tax payers in Escambia Co.
To be against all taxes, IMO, is to be anti-America. It cost money for ECAT to send buses or vans for Public Transportation to Century, but being that we don’t centralize our government/s to the middle of Escambia County and being that court houses and etc are on the coast, the transportation is very needed and the private market can’t sustain transportation over the entire county.
The way this is being done, on behalf of those fuel station, makes sense, but we will likely need to make up the loss of revenue in some way.
The way you handle the increase of taxes on the citizens of Escambia County is to vote for the person (county commissioners) who are willing to repeal taxes. We the people deserve better from our elected officials , but we keep electing the same good ole boys back in office. Escambia county has great potential, but our leadership has not produced!!! Look around and Santa Rosa, and Baldwin County and you see growth, but Escambia is still dragging behind!! Until we stop electing the same ole power grab boys, we are always going to be last. I love the north end of the county with our country way of life, but on the major roads (hwy 29/97) we can afford to have businesses come in to help boost the economy and make Escambia County a better place to live.
So two want to avoid taxes and one wants more freedom. Makes sense.
The gas tax is unfair to everyone in the north county. It only benefits Pensacola.