Santa Rosa County residents vote to extend one-half cent sales surtax
Santa Rosa County voters on Tuesday opted to proceed a one-half cent sales surtax levied by the school district that will fund the construction of fresh schools.
Voters overwhelmingly approved the tax, with 74.37 percent (9,070) in favor and 25.63 percent (Three,126) against.
Just more than nine percent of the county’s registered voters participated in the election, according to the Santa Rosa County Supervisor of Elections. Of the county’s 133,343 registered voters, 12,201 cast ballots in Tuesday’s special election.
“We’re utterly appreciative that the voters in resounding style voted to proceed this tax,” said Joey Harrell, the district’s assistant superintendent for administrative services. “We pledge to proceed the high level of excellence we’ve always had.”
The tax was instituted in one thousand nine hundred ninety eight and was renewed ten years later. The current tax expires on Dec. 31, 2018, and the measure approved by voters on Tuesday extends that through 2028.
Santa Rosa County Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick has said the tax generates about $7 million annually for the district.
The superintendent, who was in an executive session of a school board meeting late Tuesday, has previously said the district faces overcrowding.
The county eyed a Ten.Four percent population increase from two thousand ten to 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Schools in the south end of the county are at more than one hundred percent capacity, and those in Rhythm are ninety to ninety five percent utter, Wyrosdick has said.
The district wants to build its very first two fresh schools in Navarre and Tempo.
Rosemary LaPorta, who has lived in Gulf Breeze for thirty five years, said on Tuesday that she voted against the tax.
“I have a problem sometimes with budgeting,” she said. “They (the county) keep voting on a fresh courthouse so I don’t know why they don’t budget for a courthouse and I don’t know why schools get so much money. Can’t they make do?”
In latest years, the county has held numerous votes on half-cent funding for a fresh courthouse. All of those measures have failed.
Two other longtime Gulf Breeze residents, Frieda and Grady Brothers, both said they voted to proceed the tax because the district needs the money.
Their children went through the county school system and their son, Daniel, is the principal at Gulf Breeze High School.
“I know they need it for all sorts of things, for the children and the teachers and for the buildings, because we’re growing in this community, and that’s a good thing,” Frieda Brothers said.