August Election – Be Prepared

When you receive your ballot this fall it will contain a number of things besides names of people who would like your vote for them to occupy a government office and exercise the responsibilities and privileges thereof.

Some of those added items are for state level issues that proponents have secured thousands of signatures of voters in order to put before you.

The two that were addressed at our last club meeting are strictly local in scope and purpose. Each one affects us all in a way that is often a very sensitive one – our pocketbook.

And both will be on the ballot at the direction of a body, all of whose current members most of us voted for in one of the last two even numbered years, namely the Board of Hernando county Commissioners.

Below is the wording you will likely see on the ballot. Clearly the level of description that can fit on a ballot is very limited. Hopefully you found the discussions helpful in filling in the missing parts. If you are not decided by what you hear, perhaps it will lead to knowing what else you want find out, and who to contact or listen to in order to make that decision before the actual ballot is in your hand. Note that while the wording may seem to suggest that the tax is a cent per transaction, it is actually a percentage of the purchase – which means it could add many dollars to the total bill.

This item was developed and put forward by unanimous vote of the County Commission.

WHOLE CENT FOR HERNANDO FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS.

SHALL A ONE-CENT SALES SURTAX BE LEVIED BEGINNING IN 2025 AND CONTINUING THROUGH 2054, AND SHARED BETWEEEN HERANDO COUTY AND THE CITYOF BROOKSILLE WITH THE PROECEEDS TO BE USED TO FUND INFRASTRUCTURE AND PUBLIC FACLITITIES AS DEFINED BY LAW AND OVERSEEN BY A CITIZEN COMMITTEE INCLUDING:

LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE, PUBLIC SAFETY, ROADS, TRAFFIC ALLEVIATION AND OTHER TRANSPORTATION?

This item was developed and proposed by unanimous vote of the Hernando county School Board. It was endorsed and put on ballot by unanimous vote of the Hernando county Commission.

SHALL THE ONE-HALF-CENT SALES SURTAX CURRENTLY LEVIED IN HERNANDO COUNTY BE RENEWED FOR TEN YEARS, TO BE USED FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION, RECONSTRUCTION, RENOVATION, SAFETY AND SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS, AND THE PURCHASE OF TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT INCLUDING HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE WITH THE CONTINUED REVIEW OF EXPENDITURES BY A CITIZEN’S OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE?