Voters to rally for Indian River Lagoon tax plan

Half cent sales tax hike would raise $300M over 10 years to cleanup lagoon

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Election Day in Brevard County means voters get to decide whether they should be the ones paying to clean up the badly polluted Indian River Lagoon.

After months of debate, early voting is underway, and Wednesday night, supporters of the lagoon tax plan will hold a rally.

"Everybody that I've talked to is willing to put out $24 a year to try to save this estuary which means so much to us," said Leesa Souto, executive director of the Marine Resources Council in Palm Bay.

Souto, a scientist with MRC, is hoping her group will energize voters to say yes to the 10-year, $300 million tax plan.

The group is holding a Save Our Lagoon town hall at 7 p.m. at the Gleason Performing Arts Center on the campus of Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne.

After a year of algae blooms and fish kills, MRC thinks public opinion is on their side.

"It's so easy to vote yes. I mean, there really isn't any cons to it," Souto said. "There's nothing bad that's going to happen."

But there are some folks who spoke to News 6 at early voting locations who were not shy about voicing their opposition. 

"I'm taxed enough. I don't care for any more taxes," said Bud Campbell, from Melbourne.

Another voter agreed.

"I'm just not in favor of anymore taxes," said Glenn Walde from Melbourne.

The lagoon plan would hike the sales tax by a half-penny.

Some voters said they want officials to find the money elsewhere.

County Commissioner Trudie Infantini also feels that way.

She's the only Brevard commissioner opposed to the lagoon tax, raising her concerns whether the tax can legally go toward removing muck, as supporters said it would.

The commissioner said state law prohibits putting an increased sales tax toward cleanup.

Supporters say they can and they will.

"I believe there will be a legal challenge to the use and I think it's misleading the public for what the money can be used for," Infantini said. "I don't think that the lagoon tax is a necessary tax."

"Brevard County has done a tremendous job coming up with a plan for the Indian River Lagoon. We get to choose whether we want to save our lagoon, put our money where our mouth is," Souto said.

 


About the Author:

James joined News 6 in March 2016 as the Brevard County Reporter. His arrival was the realization of a three-year effort to return to the state where his career began. James is from Pittsburgh, PA and graduated from Penn State in 2009 with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.