PORT CHARLOTTE — Charlotte County residents heading to the ballot box will have the chance to vote on not just people, but also local taxes.

The two referendums are for local tax measures that currently exist and are up for renewal, pending majority support from voters.

The first is the Charlotte County’s 1% local option sales tax.

The other is Charlotte County Public Schools’ 1-mill tax, which will be exempt from the statewide property tax relief proposal, known as Amendment 3, if it passes.

County sales tax

The first tax up for renewal is a continuation of the existing Charlotte County 1% local option sales tax, which has been around for 32 years.

It was first approved in 1994, funding a wide range of capital infrastructure expenses such as public safety vehicles, acquiring park or environmental land, or engineering, design and construction of any public facility with a life span of more than five years.

This year, voters are being asked to extend the tax as is for an additional 20 years to more efficiently fund needed infrastructure improvements with bond financing rather than the “pay as they go” policy currently being used.

Food, medicine and certain services are not subject to the sales tax. In addition, the 1% tax is levied only on the first $5,000 of any purchase.

Seasonal visitors and tourists pitch in to the tax, too, not just full time residents.

School tax

The school tax up for renewal has been addressing regional education needs for the last eight years since it was first passed in 2018.

Some officials have credited the tax to the reason why Charlotte County Public Schools is progressing, like achieving its first A rating in 15 years this past summer.

The tax generates about $37 million annually, supporting student programs, instructional staffing — including salaries — and other classroom needs that are not fully covered by state funding.

The tax is a one-mill, meaning for every $1,000 of taxable value, $1 is taxed.

For example, a home with $200,000 taxable value this year with no exemptions or assessment caps will pay $200 in school taxes to CCPS.

Both county taxes can only be used for Charlotte County needs.