Orange County has abandoned any effort to put a tax measure on the ballot this year.
The sudden decision came Monday toward the end of a four-hour-long, special county commission meeting at which the board could not reach consensus on the scope and structure of a proposal to increase the sales tax, after considering an array of ideas that could have helped fund affordable housing projects, buy land for conservation or parks, and underwrite transportation-related infrastructure.
“We do not want to make this an exercise in futility where we are tasking staff to go out and do a lot of number crunching and things that we’re not intentionally going to do anything with,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, sensing the board’s discord.
Commissioners had not settled on details like the size of the proposed increase, how long it would be assessed, or how the money should be spent.
An analysis by The Trust For Public Land estimated a 1% increase in the county sales tax would raise about $757.6 million a year. Such a tax would add $169 to the normal bills paid by a household with an income of about $77,000 a year. But most of the tax money would come from the millions of tourists who visit Orlando, primarily for its theme parks.
The commission was facing a fast-approaching deadline of May 7 to draft, approve and submit a proposal to the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, a research arm of the Florida Legislature, to qualify for the November ballot.
Political headwinds were strong, noted Demings, who is vying to be the Democratic Party’s candidate for Florida governor.
In Tallahassee last month, the Florida House passed a proposal to eliminate non-school property taxes for homesteaded properties, which would lead to deep funding cuts for local governments if the measure gets on the state ballot and voters approve.
Demings said he has heard cost-of-living concerns while campaigning, which figure into his doubts about a tax measure now. He said he believes the state electorate will vote to rid themselves of property tax obligations — and local governments will have to find a way to adjust.
“Across the state of Florida, across the country, there are many conversations about affordability,” he said. “If you’re going to advance a ballot initiative that is going to cost people extra money then you have to be able to articulate to them what they’re going to get for paying the extra money.”
Orange County voters handily rejected a transportation sales tax in 2022 with 58% voting no. Then two years ago, Demings and other county leaders opted against a reboot of the campaign, though transit problems have worsened in Central Florida as its population swelled.
In the final year of his final term as mayor, Demings said he has not budged from his firm belief that the county needs a dedicated funding source to untangle its transportation network. “But, you know, we have to be honest with ourselves, is this the right time?” he said.
Demings said he couldn’t support an effort to go forward this year.
“Eventually we’ll get there,” he said. “I believe in this community. I believe in the people who work here.”
The board won’t be able to revisit a measure until 2028. Demings will be out of the mayor’s office by then and the board of commissioners, which will expand from six members to eight, will likely be reconfigured.
shudak@orlandosentinel.com