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Escambia Upset Pensacola May Not Turn Over Money From Gas Tax Hike
February 8, 2013
Late last year, the Escambia County Commission approved a four cent gas tax increase in 2014 to fund ECAT public transportation. The Town of Century balked, and now it appears the City of Pensacola may not play along.
The City of Pensacola has yet to agree forward the additional four cents collected within the city to the county for ECAT. Pensacola may instead use the funds as incentives for Project Stallion, an aerospace company with 500 jobs that is considering a location at the Pensacola International Airport. Pensacola is expected to collected over $700,000 annually from the gas tax.
Thursday morning, Escambia commissioners spoke out against the plan because the gas tax was intended for public transportation.
“It was well understood that the gas tax became the earmarked funding source for mass transit,” Commissioner Gene Valentino said. “This approach is not balanced or fair, and is a last minute move the (Pensacola) administrator made us aware of.”
Valentino said Pensacola needs to head “back to the drawing board” an find another way to finance their portion of a bond issue for Project Stallion. Escambia County does, Valentino added, remain 100 percent committed to the new company.
“The county was expecting the city to agree to reduce the mill rate with this gas tax pledged to mass transit. At the Committee of the Whole meeting on February 14th, the BCC will discuss and decide how we collectively will agree to fund Project Stallion, but it’s only fair that the city find a way to do what they financially committed to, without taking from the gas tax revenue dedicated completely to mass transit,” he said.
The Town of Century has also refused to agree to remit their portion of the tax to the county, claiming it would potentially force the three gas stations in Century to close as drivers cross the state line and purchase cheaper gas in Flomaton.
Century asked the Escambia County State Legislative Delegation to support a bill exempting Century from the tax, but that idea failed because Florida law won’t allow the exemption. Century is now considered a push for a constitutional amendment to nix the tax in Century.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
26 Responses to “Escambia Upset Pensacola May Not Turn Over Money From Gas Tax Hike”
We need to get valentino out as a CC and send this reject back to california. He is a idiot that thinks “nose” everything.
If Hayward can opt. Out, then I want out too! This four cent tax should have been voted on by the people, not by the five idiots setting in them leather chairs.
Just my thoughts
i agree with Gigi…get hose guys out of office!
The very people whom are going to reap the benefits are the ones that live in Pensacola city limits. It is amazing. Repeal it off the backs of the county tax payers and help the working public out.
Commissioner Wilson Robertson has enough time as a county employee to draw his retirement. I think I heard he would be retiring after this term. He will then draw his retirement from where? County funds maybe? Someone can correct me because I really don’t know where the retirement funds come from, but he needs to go. Commissioner Gene Valentino needs to go, he moved to the Pensacola area because he liked the way things were/are!!, but he like some have tried to make it just like the place he moved from (that he did not like)!! In my opinion, if you like the life style here please, please don’t change it, just assimilate into the area and enjoy the culture.
DONT RAISE PRICES
I think the people rides the bus should pay little more than raise GAS PRICES so it wont hurt other people.
Glad to see someone in government has their head screwed on right. Way to go Mayor Hayward, stand your ground and bring those jobs to Pensacola. This gas tax was handled wrong from the begining and it appears that some people are finally realizing it.
Totally against this. I went to the meetings, didn’t do any good, they made their decision and that was that. Kudos to Century and to the city for refusing to submit. Do a little research people… Chicago (CTA) fares $2.25/ride population 9.8 million. Chicago uses,supports and Promotes their transit. New York City(MTA)fares $2.50/ride population 8.2,million, New York uses,supports and Promotes their transit system. Escambia county population 3K (ECAT)fares $1.75/ride, DOES NOT!! Support or Promotes and is ashamed of their system. Why should I support a system that isn’t self supporting or wanted? Raise the fare if it is so important to the county, but also PROMOTE it.
This is funny. I dont favor this tax; but just wait for the bill from obama care. If you dont have health insurance get ready for the penalty. Uncle sam wants your money one way or the other.
The commission is willing to raise taxes for their pet projects that historically don’t give a return on the investment that each citizen in the county should demand. After all it is OUR money that is being mismanaged. If they want to raise taxes, how about funding the fire and ems services, I want the best to take care of me. From what I hear, these guys haven’t had a raise to coincide with cost of living expenses (i.e. increased gas prices…hmm) in nearly 10 years. Way to take care of your community Valentino. Pensacola and Century, take the money and do right by your community.
Here’s what I understand, and someone please correct me if I’m wrong: At the time of the vote, Kevin White was absent. Wilson Robertson, Gene Valentino, and Grover Robinson voted FOR the gas tax ahead of 2 new commissioners being voted in (May and Barry).
SO, the people we want OUT are:
Robertson
Valentino
Robinson
I’ll be there with a big sign of who voted FOR and who voted AGAINST the 4 cents gas tax that they HAD NO RIGHT to pass. Yes THEY HAD NO RIGHT because they are supposed to represents their constituents who have LOUDLY complained that they did NOT want this tax. These commissioners must think they are God. We will have to show them at the polls, that’s for sure.
Attend the townhall meeting at Molino Community center on Feb. 25 @5:30pm and make your voices heard!! Then remember who voted for the tax increase at election time!!!
“This approach is not balanced or fair” well then Mr. Valentino, please tell us how it is “fair” that you and your little group of miscreants pass a bill to tax us more for your pet projects that are no longer breaking even? I don’t get an increase each time gas prices go up, so why should you unfairly tax me each time you want to push something through? It should be apparent to the board that the cities and residents of said cities aren’t happy with your actions, so recognize that and quit pushing your shenanigans on us.
We can grip all we wont to on this but the fact is they did pass the gas tax and now we half to pay for their mistakes we need to hit them where it hurts and that is the poles I say kick all of them out .( NO MORE TAXES)
I agree with Walnut Hill Roy. Don’t tax everyone to benefit a very few. Raise the price to ride the bus. If that does not raise enough money to keep the bus line in business, shut down the system. Using their logic, lets raise taxes on everyone to open a free skydiving service. Tax and spread the wealth – tax and spread the wealth. Seems like I have heard that somewhere before…
I’m sure the residents of Escambia county are more mad about this than anybody else, I know I am..My pay does not go up everytime there is a tax increase or a utility increase..Escambia county does not care about its residents.
I just love this!! Our BCC or a joke for those of us who read this story with amazement!! Why would anyone want to bring a business to Escambia County when they read articles like this one. BCC just can’t get their act together!! No one wants to play in their sand-box!! The people of the county did not want a Gas Tax to start with, and now Pensacola just like Century does not agree with the release of the new tax monies! Why don’t the BCC listen to the people they are supposed to represent.
Stuart Merrick makes the most sense, to a very large degree public transportation is just another way for the mass to fund a few; in other words, money redistribution. It’s gotten to the point where the “disadvantaged” have become the ruling class in almost everything.
Raise the bus rates to the break even point, if you loose enough riders that it won’t break even then shut it down. I don’t see the governments offering to help pay my auto insurance, car payment or gasoline.
NO MORE TAX…
Well then maybe we should not run ecat in the city limits and make more runs to the north end since that is what the tax was for to begin with. Lets keep supporting things we can’t afford.
If they need money to fund ECAT does it not make sense to just raise the prices of a bus ride? That seems to be the easiest course of action instead of taxing all for the benefit of few.
Another example of taxing the county to benefit Pensacola and we are tired of it!!!
Government with your money is like a crack addict looking for that next fix. All the government wants is MORE, MORE, MORE,and it’ll never be satistfied.
Although I don’t agree with them doing that, I have to admit it’s a whole lot better than using the money for something that for most of us, we get no benefit.