The proposed doubling of Jacksonville s local gas tax has won backing from the Jacksonville Civic Council, but the influential group of business leaders said the amount of local money spent on converting the Skyway system should be cut in half so $190 million of gas tax dollars go to other transportation projects.
The Civic Council weighed in Monday as proposed proposed amendments to the legislation will be coming fast and furious in the final weeks of deliberation by Jacksonville City Council.
City Council will decide whether to add 10 years to the current 6 cents per gallon local gas tax, which is set to expire in 2036, and add another 6 cents for a 30 year period. That would double the 6 cent gas tax to 12 cents per gallon.
Two Jacksonville City Council members said Thursday it would be best for voters to make the call on whether to raise the local gas tax by putting that choice on the ballot in a countywide referendum.
Council members Aaron Bowman and LeAnna Cumber said they would support having the referendum, marking the first time any council members have said that should be the route for a decision. I can honestly tell you I ve gotten zero emails or calls supporting this initiative and I ve gotten hundreds saying Please don t do this to me, Bowman said during a special meeting.
Some other council members spoke in favor increasing the gas tax during the meeting devoted to the Jobs for Jax proposal put forward by Mayor Lenny Curry and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority for doing $930 million of road, drainage and transit projects.
Gas tax proposal draws criticism from some Jacksonville council members
Some city council members opposed to the tax also discussed the idea of letting citizens vote on the proposed six-cent gas sales tax increase. Author: Troy Kless (First Coast News) Published: 7:43 PM EDT April 29, 2021 Updated: 12:10 AM EDT April 30, 2021
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Smooth roads, sidewalks, drainage improvements, and a new and improved Skyway. It s all part of a plan to improve city infrastructure using revenue from a gas tax hike.
The city council got to discuss some of their concerns in a Thursday morning meeting.
The proverbial tank of city and JTA funding could fill up with a gas tax increase.
Business owners in the Jacksonville Small and Emerging Business Program will have a path to grow their personal wealth by an unlimited amount over the next couple of years and still stay in the program that helps small businesses get a share of city contracts.
City Council agreed to that significant change during a Tuesday night meeting that saw City Council President Tommy Hazouri call for a recess when council members Ju Coby Pittman and Garrett Dennis exchanged angry barbs after Pittman accused him of using bully tactics by filing floor amendments on the JSEB bill.
Dennis objected to Pittman saying he had tried to get a city employee fired.
Photo by Sarah Navy.
A Student Worker Demonstration “Pay Us 15!” was held by Student Liberation Front (SLF), Sunrise Appleton and Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) on April 16 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. near the Warch Campus Center. This event called for the Lawrence administration to increase student workers’ minimum wage to $15 per hour to respond to students’ financial difficulties, including their tuition fees alongside their academic life.
About 30 students attended the protest. Organizers of the event put out signs including “Wage Increase Now” and “Raise the Wage” to express their demands. They also distributed fliers regarding the demonstration to students who walked by and asked if they had signed the electronic petition form in support of raising students’ minimum wage.