Editorial: Gas tax increase is a good investment in Jacksonville
Our View
The City Council is expected to take a final vote Wednesday on whether to double the local option gas tax from six cents to 12 cents.
Raising the tax would generate about $1 billion over 30 years to pay for badly needed transportation infrastructure projects like roads, bus stops, sidewalks, drainage, bridges and other improvements. And it would free up money in the city budget to phase out our failing septic tanks, which are an increasing threat to the St. Johns River.
Mayor Lenny Curry’s proposal has received some resistance from taxpayers who don’t want their taxes raised, even though a 12-cent gas tax would cost the average driver less than $100 a year.