Comments on: Walnut Hill Town Hall Meeting Explores Use Of LOST Dollars In Escambia

By: M in Bratt

M in Bratt — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 22:37:15 +0000

In response to Taxpayertoo; The excuse that “the county had a smaller population when we had a 4% tax is the same excuse the politicians use as an excuse to raise every tax. It a very simple equation if you think about it; More people=more purchases which equate to more sales tax. The same equation would also apply to property taxes. None of the politicians in this country, either local, state, or federal have an income problem, they all suffer from some compulsive need to spend more than they have, except our state and local politicians don’t have their own printing press. I think about their waste every time I have to gas up in Escambia County, and have to pay .10 to .25 cents more a gallon than our neighbors in Fl. and Al. because of the local option gas taxes.

By: taxpayertoo

taxpayertoo — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 13:01:35 +0000

1. 4% sales tax was at a time when the population was smaller in the county and was
able to survive on 4%

2. is it possible to have a flat tax and lower property taxes so everyone who makes a
purchase in Escambia County

3. look at your ppropert tax statement, it might not say tax but all of it esentially is a
tax

4. also, is there a “built-in” increase for county commishses via state legislation

5. flat tax flat tax flat tax across the board for all to pay; why do we want to redistirbute
weatlh instead spreading the tax burden via retail, and goods and services
purchasing

anyone else with me on this

By: M in Bratt

M in Bratt — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 10:29:13 +0000

I wonder how in the world Escambia County made it when we had a 4% sales tax, no gas tax or franchise fees, no fire tax, and lower property taxes? We lived within our means is how it was done. Commissioners need to figure out how to cut costs, not raise revenue. The LOST tax is one tax that is very aptly named; It’s lost the minute you hand it over at the cash register, never to be seen or heard from again.

By: David Huie Green

David Huie Green — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 03:26:24 +0000

CONTEMPLATING:
“Sometimes public roads remain unpaved because of landowners unwilling to cede right of way for the project. ”

Don’t care.
Pave it anyway.
Yes, it would be better if the shoulders were proper with ditches and clearance, but just paving the part which is graded would stop erosion and siltation and keep the road in better shape than is currently the case.
Even a ditch shape like Pine Barren Road north of County Road 4 is better than nothing.

David for half a loaf rather than none

By: bad road

bad road — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 21:43:39 +0000

All land on Haupert Ln was givin to the county years ago on a promise to pave. Now we gotta beg to get it graded !

By: Oversight

Oversight — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 21:20:33 +0000

Molino Jim….

I’m only speaking about the one penny local option sales tax – not franchise fees on utility bills, four cent per gallon gas tax, bed tax on hotels, or the many other revenue streams the board of county commissioners has its teeth into.

I’m sure that the beach pulls in lots of tax dollars through extra taxes and fees; however, that’s not the issue here because I’m disputing that tourists pay 35% of the LOST revenue collected in Escambia County as claimed by the county commissioner. I believe that the numbers are inflated to garner support for continuing the tax. By the way, bed tax revenue does not go into the same pot as LOST funds.

By: Bryan Bethea

Bryan Bethea — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 21:08:04 +0000

Sometimes public roads remain unpaved because of landowners unwilling to cede right of way for the project. One such case is Blackberry Lane in Molino. One owner along the route wasn’t willing to work with the County on right of way, so the County just moved on. I agree with the County that it wasn’t worth the effort to go through eminent domain hurdles to pave a road that is less than half a mile long.

I bring this up only to remind everyone that things aren’t always black and white and sometimes county government actually does the right thing.

By: jeeperman

jeeperman — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 20:54:14 +0000

The L.O.S. tax is on all purchases and services that are also sales taxed by the state (6%). County gets 1.5% now plus the states 6% = 7.5%

Molino Jim is eluding to the Tourist Development tax (bed tax) of 4% for renting any accommodations in Escambia county for 6 months or less.
And is separate from L.O.S.T.

The tax rates on Santa Rosa Island (Pensacola Beach) are as follows:
◦7.5% Sales Tax, 4% Bed Tax, and 2.55% SRIA Tax
.
Staying on PB (versus elsewhere in the county) will cost another 2.55%
So no, the taxes paid on Pensacola Beach do not nearly equal the purchase.

By: David Huie Green

David Huie Green — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 17:49:03 +0000

Pave ALL public roads first.

By: molino jim

molino jim — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 15:51:56 +0000

@ Oversight– taxes from the local and beach hotels and other places all goes into the same pot. I had friends staying on the beach and the taxes were almost as much as the bills. Think about the people who are in town for “the Blues” “Pride week” and other events that pay for rooms and food after the beach is booked up. Unless you’re paying for hotels rooms it does not effect you–but the taxes coming in helps everyone in Escambia county.