CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — On Tuesday night, the Clay County board of county commissioners is set to vote on whether or not to raise a tax on its electric and gas utilities, which the county says hasn’t changed since 2004.
During a workshop-style meeting held this morning to talk about the possible higher tax, everyone who spoke shared their thoughts against raising it.
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“We don’t mind doing our share, but neither do we want to eat cat food,” one woman told commissioners.
“It’s so hard to survive in this economy, and the utility tax just seems high,” said another.
Clay County is considering raising the tax from 4% to 10%, which is the highest rate Florida law allows. Although the tax itself is only an increase of six percentage points, it would make the total tax more than double what it is now.
The “Public Service Utility Tax,” which is the tax at risk of being raised, is what the county puts on electric and gas bills for homeowners. The county says it would receive $7.4 million in extra funds, per year, by raising the tax, money it says would go toward “budget shortfalls” like money for public safety services, such as the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. The county hasn’t shared exactly how much of this extra money would go toward these “shortfalls” in its budget.
Clay County uses Clay Electric Cooperative to provide power to local homes. Clay Electric estimates the higher tax would add $6 to the average monthly electric bill, or $72 more per year.
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People who spoke during the county’s workshop said they don’t want to pay the extra money in taxes, especially those who live on a fixed income. To them, more from their taxes would be giving up more of the limited amount they are able to spend each month.
“There’s a lot of people living in Clay County that are really living on the edge,” one of the women who came to speak told county commissioners.
“With a fixed income, that means we only have so much money for us elderly,” another woman said.
Clay County commissioners are set to make a vote on the possible higher tax during the board’s meeting, being held at 4:00 PM inside the Clay County administration building in Green Cove Springs.
The vote is expected to happen as early as 5:00 PM. Anyone who wants to watch the meeting live can do so at the link here.
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