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Penny for Progress: Escambia Commission Votes To Put LOST Renewal On November Ballot
July 24, 2026
The Escambia County Commission voted on Thursday night to send the renewal of a penny tax to the ballot in November.
Voters will decide if they will extend the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) for a decade.
Thursday night’s unanimous commission vote instructs the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections to place the renewal on the November 3 general election ballot.
LOST is a one-cent sales tax levied to fund infrastructure projects throughout the County, with proportionate amounts distributed to the City of Pensacola and the Town of Century. To levy or extend this tax, an ordinance must be adopted by the Board and the voters of Escambia County must approve the measure at a county-wide referendum.
LOST revenues average nearly $70 million per year for capital projects and infrastructure needs for Escambia County, including public safety, fire trucks and ambulances, fire stations, park improvements, road resurfacing, sidewalks, drainage and stormwater enhancements, and more.
First approved by voters in 1992 and renewed in 1997, 2006 and 2014, LOST has provided a reliable, voter-approved funding source for community improvements funded by residents and visitors alike. According to a recent University of West Florida Haas Center study, approved LOST-funded projects in Escambia County from 2009 to 2028 alone represent an estimated $2.1 billion in local economic impact.
The current LOST cycle runs through 2028. With approval by voters, the tax will continue to be collected from January 1, 2029, through December 31, 2038.
Tax Rate Breakdown
The standard State of Florida sales tax is 6.0%. In Escambia County, the total combined sales tax rate is 7.5%, which includes two local discretionary surtaxes:
- 1.0% (One Cent): The Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) managed by the county and its municipalities.
- 0.5% (Half Cent): A separate school district tax that directly benefits Escambia County Public Schools.
NorthEscambia.com graphic.
Comments
8 Responses to “Penny for Progress: Escambia Commission Votes To Put LOST Renewal On November Ballot”
Get rid of Kohler and May, the County will need less money and show Pam Childers is right, as always!
There is no oversight; nor accountability of the disbursement of the “only one penny” tax. Therefore NO to the LOST tax. BTW where is the accountability of the fire tax?
Time to move on from this tax they have had plenty of time to do these projects that they just keep doing over and over again as long as the money keeps coming in NOPE
Bring back the Kids First crap to the ballot box.
Here’s what the “only” 1 cent sales tax amounts to:
If you earn $50,000 per year and you spend it all to live on as most of us do we/you pay $500 per year in tax for that 1 penny. Which amounts to an extra $41.66 per month. Now what’s $41.66 per month to you? Well to me it’s a 1/2 tank of gas or 1/3 of my car insurance, or my entire water bill for a year for the only 1 penny tax. I’m not willing to volunteer to pay a penny more for a tax. We are taxed on everything. Our govts need to stop wasting what we already pay. NO NO NO IM NOT VOTING FOR THE ONLY 1 penny tax. Times are tough & that $41.66 per month makes or breaks.
Lol
We get to vote on a penny tax, YET NO VOTE ON FIRE PROTECTION THAT DOUBLED LAST YEAR!
So, the 1 cent tax revenue is almost $70 million for law enforcement, fire, public safety facilities and equipment, transportation and drainage improvements, infrastructure, projects/public facilities, capital equipment, community services and economic development. The .5 cent tax undoubtedly must provide $35 million in revenue to schools. Are these the same items that were going to be severely impacted in the fearmongering campaign to prevent the removal of property taxes? Just how much does it cost to run the county for a year? How much does it cost to run the schools in the county for a year? How much waste is involved? Has anyone ever seen a disbursement sheet for the costs of these items?
Not a good time for our local tax and wildly spend government to seek extending a tax that should have long ago paved every dirt road in Escambia County. Not this time, voting NO in November.