PENNY
sales tax
Each penny means positive change for Marion County.
1% Sales Tax Initiative
A 1% sales tax option to fund public safety equipment needs for law enforcement, fire rescue and EMS, as well as transportation capital and road rehabilitation projects for the county and municipalities.
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The commission voted to place the sales tax option on the ballot as a means of addressing a backlog of public safety and transportation projects that accumulated during our community’s economic downturn.
30% is estimated to be paid by visitors!
It’s only one penny out of (almost) every dollar spent in Marion County, but the funds collected has paved roads, rolled out new patrol cars for sheriff’s deputies and placed new radios in the hands of public safety professionals.
Penny Power
The Penny Sales Tax began collecting revenues in January 2016 after voters approved the referendum via the November 2015 presidential ballot.
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2016-17 - $ 4,132,645.34
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2017-18 - $ 20,983,732.64
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2018-19 - $ 30,345,503.22
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2019-20 - $ 41,957,024.23
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2020-21 - $ 70,625,256.00
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2021-22 - $ 62,671,512.76
Penny Sales Tax Renewal
Official results indicate 70.31% of Marion County voters (132,557) elected to renew the One Cent Public Safety and Infrastructure Sales Surtax until 2024.
ACCOUNTABILITY
for Sales Tax funds
The funds collected from this sales tax are collected by the Florida Department of Revenue, then returned to the county on a monthly basis.
A budget is established during the county's annual budgeting process including workshops, hearings, and meetings that are open to the public and detailed in public records.
Projects are prioritized annually by the departments and organizations receiving funds, then approved by the county commission at public meetings.
Any changes to the purchase list or schedule must be approved by the county commission at a public meeting.
For example, if it becomes more cost-effective to purchase radios in year two instead of year four, with county commission approval, the schedule could change to reflect that.
The county commission uses the funds collected in accordance with all standard and state-required finance and procurement processes.
