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Escambia County’s Gas Tax Jumps Four Cents For ECAT
January 1, 2014
A new four-cent tax went into effect Wednesday in Escambia County for mass transit. The Escambia County Commission and the City of Pensacola entered into an interlocal agreement on the tax to fund ECAT. And, despite the Town of Century’s refusal to go along with the increase, the higher gas tax will be collected in the town for ECAT.
Century refused sign off on an interlocal agreement with Escambia County to allocate additional gas taxes collected in Century to the county for mass transit. Town officials contended the new tax is unfair to North Escambia residents and may force the three gas stations in Century to close as drivers purchase lower priced gasoline across the state line in Flomaton.
But regardless of Century’s refusal to support the tax, they simply were not allowed opt-out of the tax altogether. The local option fuel tax statute provides that the most populous municipality within the county speaks for all the municipalities in the county on the issue.
The Century Town Council wanted the Florida Legislature to consider exempting the town from the tax, but the proposal never made it to a meeting of the Escambia County State Legislative Delegation. Because Florida law won’t allow the Legislature to consider such an exemption.
Comments
53 Responses to “Escambia County’s Gas Tax Jumps Four Cents For ECAT”
well each time you ask the commissioner about something, like the gas tax for e-cats or any thing. they just say it the law . but when you ask what law? they don’t know! I have look at all the Florida law on line and still haven’t found any such law. yes we need to vote all the commissioners out! and that district 5 too !!!!!. all are liars. ,liars . liars pants on fine ! o yes if e-cats can’t pay for it self, it time for it to go !!!
Never again. Got caught in Pensacola yesterday needing fuel. I simply bought 3 gallons. Enough to get me back across the Alabama line.
Maybe we can start letting the riders of ECAT pay with their EBT cards, they are able to use them for almost everything else
Instead of complaining, somebody needs to start a petition drive to put this issue on the next ballot. The act of a petition drive would shake up the Ivory Tower Commisioners. We shouldn’t have to support local welfare programs like ECAT, let the users of this service pay for it. Commisioners need to wake up and realize that they can’t print money like the federal gov. does. Every time I fuel up, and have to pay an extra $2.00 for the pleasure of living in Escambia County, it will remind me to remember in November.
Looks like I will be gettin all my gas in flomaton
doggone liberals, they will do anything to keep their base voters. take from those who will and give it to those who won’t.
Joe B,
This county does not have the “recall” process.
If Escambia had a charter government, then the recall option would exist.
But the possibility of changing to a charter government has been discussed for two decades. And shot down by our overlords twice in the past ten years.
The overlords do not want us peon’s to have the ability to force a recall election upon them.
They also know that the voters soon forget votes on stuff like this and then elect or re-elect whatever candidate has the most signs posted.
Sad but true.
Since no one else is talking about it, I will.
What we need is a RECALL for our “County Commissioners”.
Bell-aching and threatening to buy gas somewhere else will do nothing, and will be long forgotten / covered up by the time the next election rolls around.
A recall election will do more to get their attention than any thing else we could do.
It will also give them pause to reflect next time they think about pulling this kind of stunt on us again.
If we put up with this nonsense, we deserve what ever they want to do to us.
As a reminder……………….
This 4 cents per gallon is suppose to now fund ECAT via those that buy gasoline (not diesel) in Escambia county.
It is suppose to replace the property taxes that funded ECAT.
Yea, yea, we all know our PT’s will not go down. The overlords will tell us that the PT increase needed is now less due to this gas tax.
Thus property owners no longer pay for ECAT, gas guzzlers do now.
And not just Escambia county gas guzzlers.
Crap like this is one of the reasons I left the Pensacola area for Alaska. Where I live now — we don’t have sales tax at all…on anything…and I will get a check each year as a state resident from the oil profits (permanent fund disbursement).
Granted, our politicians can be just as crappy here ( Mark Begich ). I say that any incumbent — in ANY office — serving more than a second term in office should be VOTED OUT!
Career politicians were NEVER the intention of our Founding Fathers… Businessmen, ranchers, farmers, craftsmen, and the common man were to serve in office FOR A TIME and then return to their professions — not make politics a career and lifestyle!
If you feel that strongly about a 4 cent gasoline tax increase, you have several choices. Buy your gas elsewhere, buy a more economical car, drive less, request a recall or get a ballot initiative to rescind the tax. The best option is to just vote out the people that voted in the gas tax increase. Send them emails and let them know, that you will not be voting for them the next time. As the people, we have all the power, we just need to use it at the ballot box.
Well sais 429CJ well said !!!
Have you noticed there are more responses to this article than any other? Most of us don’t ride the bus, but are having to help pay for it. I prefer to help those of my choosing; don’t spread my hard-earned dollars for me. I will be buying my gas in Santa Rosa county when possible, and I DO VOTE!
Did anyone notice the weight of the bag of charcoal you purchased for your New Years eve BBQ, not 10LBS, but 8.8LBS? Do you notice how the boxes of crackers have gotten smaller? These are just two of many products that have been scaled back my manufacturers in an effort to stave off price increases owing to inflation.
How does this effect ECAT? The 18 trillion $ deficit and ever increasing government spending are in analogy a Ponzi Scheme that can only be supported by just so much Quantitative Easing (Printing Federal Reserve Notes). When the dollar is dumped as the worlds standard currency, these pet programs such as ECAT, O’BAMA Care and the World Wide War on Terror will be the last of governments worry.
When, not if, the economy collapses, I suggest getting some mule collars and harnessing these county commissioners and other politicians to that ECAT bus and let them drag it to the state line and back twice a day.
I say get it on the ballot and remove the County Commissioner’s right to raise gas taxes! Email/call/write the County Commissioners. Let’s see if we can remove them! Let’s try to get a measure on the ballot to remove the ability of the County Commissioners to raise taxes without a vote of the people!
fire ECAT AND THE SORRY COUNTY COMM
Escambia county is a joke all around. Our crime is out of control our schools are awful now this…
i cannot believe the County voted to up the prices again. We live within 6 miles of Atmore and unless I am running out of gas and can’t make it across the Ala line that is the only time I pay the high cost of gas in Escambia County, FL. We pay such high ad valoreum taxes, and all these taxes is running people out of the state in Escambia County when they can afford to get out. I have several friends that sold their homes and moved out of the state because of all the taxes. The ECAT system is a good one if it would help ALL the people but it only comes to Century and why? I, for one, will NOT VOTE FOR ANYONE IN OFFICE. That goes for local, state and federal. We need to CLEAN HOUSE. The gas across the line in Florida is at least 10 cents per gallon more than Alabama and you tell me why Atmore is higher than Flomaton, Brewton, Bay Minette, Stapleton, Loxley or any of those. You can drive 15-20 miles and you can save at least 10 cents/gallon and more sometimes. Travelling from Atlanta recently the highest gas was in Atmore and if we had filled out in Florida that would have been 10 cents/gallon more. VOTE THE POLIITICIANS OUT——
I too will be buying gas in Alabama or Santa Rosa. this tax money will be going to give raises and bonuses. next time they want a raise, watch out for more gas tax probably next year. why is it that the ones that do not ride the bus have to pay far those who do? taint right maghee.
We have had a 5 cent gas tax for years plus a new 4 cent gas tax =9 cent gas tax
Looks like its time to find somewhere else to get my gas from. I am not paying somebodies way when they can save their money and buy a car and then they wont have to take the bus. I have a car because I will NEVER ride a bus. I am poor and still have a car. Its not hard you just have to make sacrifices and I would say those sacrifices are very well worth it since I do not have to ride the bus. SCREW ECAT!
it sucks taking care all these broke people in century and Pensacola I half to keep my own car up with gas tires oil change and pay for tags and my license now half to pay for something I don’t use I think the people that used the e- cat bus needs to come off there money I will be getting all my gas in AL for what is Pensacola going to do when all the gas store in century go out and there is no way get the tax.
Fact of the matter is county commisioners dont care about their constiuents, they are all crooks in one way or another, so the taxpayers will continue to have to pay for the transportation of all those standing at the bus stops on their must have smart phones
As said before……elections are coming up and I will buy my gas in Santa Rosa County or Alabama here on out. Escambia County leaders are back woods and do not know what they are doing. Making the majority pay for a bus service that can not hold its own ridership is not right and the voters need to let them hear it at the next election.
Wake up rich middle class and lower middle class people. You know you should pay your fair share. Those poor minorities need the buses to get to the job they will never have and you need to shut up and keep supporting these folks. Fair is fair…lol. I hate this country. I hope I can leave sooner than later. The inmates are running the asylum!
Now if you ran ecat up to the north end several times a day, I would be happy to use it. As it is now, Im paying for a service I cant use. It is unavailable to me. And here I thought theft was illegal.
Yeah, taxation with crappy representation. So I guess I will be getting gas out of the county from now on. And I bet you can guess how I wont vote next term.
I say Vote them all OUT next election. We should not have to pay for a non essential service that does not serve all the people of Escambia County. Raise the rate to make it pay for itself or close it down. Our newly elected commissioner in the north end has had a year to get this tax repealed and failed .Vote them all out. Buy your gas in Alabama or Santa Rosa County.
I go to church in Santa Rosa County and will be buying my gas over there, stuff like this is why I’m a TEA Partier. Taxed Enough Already
KILL E-CAT!!! It is a dying dog! The drivers strike al the time for more pay! You have a CDL ( I am pretty sure that is required) go find another job that pays more then driving around a bunch of ungrateful people! Stop funding something that can’t be used by the whole county! I live in Cantonment unless there is a bus that runs through here around 4 am and can get me to downtown Pensacola before 5am it is of no use to me! But that is besides the point THE COUNTY keeps trying to save the DYING DOG!! STOP IT!!! FUND SOMETHING WORTH SAVING!!!
I have seen ECAT buses pulled over to the side of the road for no apparent reason. My theory,and I could be wrong, is that the bus is ahead of schedule and has to stop since ridership is low. I believe the tax was passed to pay for the extra fuel the bus uses while idiling and getting zero miles per gallon.
I’m lucky I work out of the area. I can get gas there for generally about 20 cents a gallon less and won’t be funding a service that is useless to me as well as 99% of the county that now has to pay for it. The city would have been better off making a deal with a few cab companies to provide vouchers for the few that actually “used” ECAT to get them where they need to go and get rid of ECAT all together. No salaries to pay, no busses to maintain or buy and the whole county wouldn’t have the need to pay for an under-used commodity. Remember this when elections come around and make it a point to mention this “tax” when they get voted OUT!!
Live with it folks.
The only taxes we are allowed to vote on are the L.O.S.T. sales tax.
All others i.e. primary sales taxes, property taxes, vehicle taxes, school taxes, sheriff and fire taxes are all decided on by our elected overlords.
Fuel prices in AL should ALWAYS be less than in FL because AL fuel is taxed less than FL. For many many years now. Yet sometimes AL fuel is more than FL fuel. Why is that?
Greed.
And for all of you that say you will buy your fuel in AL or Santa Rosa Cty………good luck with that. Those station operators are not stupid and will just bump their prices up also.
Just because they can.
I’m driving to 5 points to get my gas from now on. I use more gas getting there and back then the Raceway on 29 and Muscogee, I may even pay more than there with the 4 cent increase but it’s the principle. I will not pay anymore then I already do to support people who are on the government dole.
Its unfair to all of us.there are no good paying jobs in pensacola as it is and now hike as up. why does the commisoners get to make all the dicisions for the tax payers?it should be voted on,after all its our money. what did happen to all the bp money? nobody knows where it goes and it should be shown where it went.i wish the commisioners had a live on a min.wage job and see if they could make it. all they worry about is tourist and the beach.
Next election ask a candidate one question, if its an incumbent, “did you vote for the gas tax?”. If running for a county office, “will you repeal the county gas tax?
Easy enough for me to run over to Orange Beach and get my gas. I’m over there three times a week already. I suggest everyone try to get to Alabama or Santa Rosa when you can. Elections cannot come soon enough
I just love how our county commissioners ram stuff down our throats without giving us a chance to voice our opinions. Of all times to raise gas prices, this is the worst. Time to find new ways of funding ECAT…What about the money from the advertisers on the side of the buses? Why not raise those rates and pay for the service that way…or maybe yet..pay as you go…users should pay for it ..not those of us who have never rode the bus and never will.
I am in agreement with all of you above.. I HATE this and it is so UNFAIR for us that don’t ride the E-Cat. Make the ones that ride pay extra if they want to ride. I live in North Escambia and do you think the E-Cat will come that far for me to ride? DUH-No they won’t. What did Pensacola do with the BP money they received? They could have use they money to help fun the E-Cat. I will be getting my gas else where..
Not even this explains why it is 16 cents cheaper in Flomaton than in Century.
4 cent a gallon won’t always make me drive another 1/2 mile but 16 will.
This is about as crazy as hiring Touart back. Go up on the rate for the bus riders who use the bus! Like gas isn’t expensive enough? Not a good plan if I’m allowed a vote! What a way to ring in the new year…cha Ching!
bad bad bad
This was suppose to be offset by lower property taxes which they screwed everyone on and didn’t approve..Vote em all out and start from scratch!!! This group are liars and thieves!!!
I just hate to see OUR County Commissioners get in bed with the city. We who
drive have to pay for a Drivers lisense, Insurance, Tag, Car or Truck, Gas or Fuel,
and the District Five Members have to pay for more fuel than any other district.
Why do we have to fund transportation for those that wont work. The people
who ride on ecat should fund the service!!!!!!!!!!!!! If they can’t pay they can sit
home.
This is wrong, and you know it.
Alternate method of generating revenue would be to increase the fare for those utilizing the service.
If you don’t like the tax increase, contact your respective county commissioner. If you don’t like the response you receive, VOTE THEM OUT!
If the bus riders can’t afford to support the buses, why should we? I don’t see the bus riders helping me or anyone else with our vehicle registration fees or insurance costs. The trouble with this country right now is too much redistribution of perceived wealth from Obamacare up and down the line.
I will be filling up in Al. I do not support your back door agenda.
If ecat can not funded themselves, they need to go. The tax payers are tired of supporting everythig that comes along. Let’s vote on it!
Let’s see, most of the buses have very few riders yet WE the people have to pay for their transportation? If the riders aren’t enough to cover the costs then why are we asked to continue to fund it?
I will be buying gas in Alabama or Santa Rosa. No taxation without a vote by the people, NOT the county commissioners!
If the users can’t/won’t pay for ecat, let it go. The tax payers are tired of supporting everything and a inept CC.
Run the bus up to the state line and back.
I don’t use e-cat why punish me.This should have been voted on by tax payers and what was the vote by the commissioners?Would like to know who was not for this.Why do they keep force feeding a dying horse let it dye.