FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
GENERAL
What
projects will be done and how will those
project be prioritized?
In
terms of program priorities, overall emphasis
will be placed on the School Board projects
during the first 4 years of the program.
Since preliminary engineering and design
on the State System take approximately 4
years to complete, the timing to begin the
major State Roads dovetails with the School
Board finishing the majority of their work.
Priorities
on all roads and sidewalks will be set based
upon need.
Click
here to view a Proposed Project list
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How
much income is expected to be derived from
the 1-Cent Sales Tax?
$534.373
Million over 10-years. The 1-Cent Sales Tax
Revenue from the 1991 Referendum levy is
anticipated to come in at $357.2 Million
when collection concludes on September 30,
2001.
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What
will the new total sales tax be with this
1-Cent?
7%
(7’). 6% (6’) current State Sales Tax on
all taxable items plus this 1% (1’) on the
first $5,000 of the cost of the items. In
other words, the total sales tax will be
exactly as it is now.
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Who
else has this tax? Who has re-levied or
extended this tax?
Twenty-seven
(27) counties were levying this tax, as of
September 29, 2000. Lake and Osceola Counties
levy this tax (Volusia and Orange Counties
do not).
The
following counties have re-levied or extended
this tax:Charlotte, Clay, Escambia, Highlands,
Manatee, Martin, Monroe, Okaloosa, Osceola,
Pinellas, and Taylor Counties.
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Why
do we need to spend county tax money on
state roads? Has anything developed regarding
the state funding of state roads since
the initial sales tax referendum?
When
the first Sales Tax Program was developed,
the County Roadway System was over capacity
and under funded. Therefore, all funds were
directed to fix what we are legally charged
with the County System. At that time, we
knew the State Roadway System would become
a future issue and the time to address the
State System has arrived.
The
County works closely with the FDOT, MetroPlan
(regional planning for transportation) and
our State/Federal elected officials. Although
we have maximized the amount of State/Federal
dollars we receive, the simple fact is that
the State System is under funded and there
is no legislative relief in site. To preserve
the quality of life in Seminole County, it
is imperative that safe and efficient roadways
also exist on the State System. Therefore,
as leaders, we are going forth with over
$100 Million of State improvements and feel
confident that we can be paid back for some
of these funds or use them as leverage to
accelerate State projects in our County.
The
motoring public does not make a distinction
between State and County Roads. They only
know the route they are traveling on is congested.
If
State Roads are not improved, vehicles then
move to County and Local roads thereby in
many cases creating "cut-through" traffic
in our neighborhoods.
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When
will I start seeing construction that the
sales tax (not your other revenues) is
helping to fund?
The
first of the Major Construction Projects
should start by Year 2005 and others will
be under construction during the term of
the Sales Tax and in some cases completed
after the Sales Tax sunsets.
Intersection,
safety and sidewalk improvements construction
will begin by the end of the Year 2002.
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When
will I start seeing school construction
that the sales tax (not your other revenues)
is helping to fund?
August
2004 we will have an additional 227 more
classrooms.
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If
you divide the approximately 200 new classrooms
into the $133 million, the average cost
per classroom is over $600,000. Isn't this
cost high?
It
would be high if the District was only building
new classrooms. This program includes new
classrooms and renovation/upgrading of old,
obsolete facilities. There are only two new
schools that are being funded from these
new funds and those classroom costs are well
below the State average. The Seminole School
Board has won over $6 Million in State funds
for designing and building new schools for
less than the State average cost per student
station. Seminole Schools have been duplicated
by other Districts because of the low cost.
Seminole
has made the decision that where a student
lives should not determine the quality of
the facility. Older facilities are renovated
to make sure that all Seminole Schools can
provide quality programs.
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Why
is a (20%) contingency included?
The
20% contingency is included for the following
reasons:
-
The
State's, County's and Cities' road improvements
are based on today's best estimates.
Historically, growth in revenue offsets
construction inflation costs. However,
both right-of-way and permitting estimates
can vary considerably.
-
Right-of-Way
costs vary between 100 to 300 percent
of the actual roadway construction costs.
This translates to a cost of 2 to 6 Million
dollars a roadway mile for right-of-way.
With such a wide variance, a moderate
contingency is critical.
-
The
cost estimates do not reflect any contingency
for additional permit requirements (i.e.,
additional drainage or wetland mitigation
required by Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) or the St. Johns River
Water Management District (SJRWMD), which
continuously become stricter and require
more "mitigation".
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If
the sales tax passes, who will pay it and
what kinds of purchases will be taxed?
(Avg. Impact to Consumer)
Everyone
making purchases in Seminole County will
pay the 1’ Sales Tax. This includes tourists,
visitors, and commuters passing through the
County; not just County residents and property
owners.
The
1’ Sales Tax applies to all transactions
subject to the state tax imposed on sales,
use, services, rentals, admissions, and other
specified transactions. The tax is not subject
to any sales amount above $5,000 on any item
of tangible personal property and on long
distance telephone service. This $5,000 cap
does not apply to the sale of any other service.
The Sales Tax is not charged on groceries,
medicine, or gasoline.
The
annual average impact on consumers is estimated
to be $31.80 per person in a family of four
with an average personal income of $50,000.
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When
would I start paying this sales tax if
it passes? When does the 1991 Referendum
1-Cent Sales Tax end?
2001
Referendum begins January 1, 2002 (Length
of levy is 10 years, ending December 31,
2011)
1991
Referendum ends September 30, 2001
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As
the recipients of the largest share of
funds under this program, does the School
Board or Seminole County plan to borrow
against the projected revenues from this
tax?
No.
Both entities are committed to building improvements
with these monies and not using this tax
to finance debt.
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Will
funds be invested to create interest-based
revenues and what would that money be used
for?
The
revenue received absolutely will be invested
to earn interest until it is spent. That
interest income would be spent on the project
list authorized in the referendum. It will
help to off-set the effects of inflation
and other types of cost increases which accrue
during a multi-year program because of changes
in community standards or other factors. Seminole
County's interest rate in recent years has
averaged about 5%.
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Will
funds be at least partially invested to
create interest based revenues?
Yes
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What
interest rate will the funds be invested?
The
best rates available.
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What
assurances are there that the designated
roads will be improved?
The
County will use the sales tax proceeds (along
with other committed County revenues of local
option gas tax and impact fees) to make the
road improvements and meet the schedule.
Section
2 of the Sales Tax Interlocal Agreement states
that the "
County shall
diligently
prosecute the projects on major roads in
Seminole County listed in Exhibit "B"
"and"
the
County and the signatory municipalities shall
diligently
prosecute the transportation projects listed
in Exhibit "C"
"and"
revenues
derived from the local government infrastructure
surtax
will be used to fund the identified
improvements and other necessary transportation
improvements by constructing and reconstructing
transportation facilities."
In
addition to these formal arrangements (Interlocal
and Resolution), the County and Cities are
further committed to the listed improvements
their adopted Comprehensive Plans and Transportation
and Capital Improvement Elements.
Because
Seminole County and the Cities must review
and update their Capital Improvements Element
(CIE) annually, some adjustment to the list
may be made. These adjustments would only
be done if projected growth and road needs
change.
The
public will be involved. Florida Statute
Chapter 163 requires the County and Cities
to advertise and hold public hearing on proposed
updates to any part of the Comprehensive
Plan I including the CIE.
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