TAX NEWS - June 2010

Palm Beach Tax: Palm Beach County Commission preserves bid for sales tax increase

Despite growing opposition from business leaders and community groups, Palm Beach County commissioners on Tuesday kept alive a proposed bid to put a sales tax increase for emergency services on the November ballot.

The commission voted 4-3 against scrapping the proposed 1 percent sales tax increase. It returns to the commission on June 15 and would still need final approval from the commission on July 20 for the measure to go before voters during the November election.

"We are not approving anything," said commission Chairman Burt Aaronson, who ended up casting the deciding vote keeping the proposal alive. "The voters would have to authorize it."

County firefighters support the proposal for a 1 percent sales tax "surtax" to help pay for fire rescue costs. Supporters call it a "tax swap" that would allow the money raised from the surtax to reduce property tax revenue normally designated for firefighting and, as a result, lower property tax bills.