During their regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday, Brevard County commissioners dedicated about 15 minutes to discussing a potential increase of the gas tax, but they took no action on the matter.
Commissioners broached the topic seven months after they voted against a plan that would have raised the gas tax from one to five cents per gallon in order to generate additional revenue for the county.
Brevard County’s gas tax is currently six cents per gallon.
“I’m also not really comfortable with the tax right now,” Brevard County Commissioner Kim Adkinson said during Tuesday’s discussion. “Like we all keep saying, it’s getting difficult out there.”
Adkinson and other commissioners suggested this is a measure that is best left for the voters to decide.
“I’m not necessarily for a gas tax now,” Adkinson said. “But I’m not opposed to putting it on the ballot to let the residents of Brevard County to decide.”
The discussions touched on a couple ideas, from the one to five cent tax increase to a “ninth-cent fuel tax” on unleaded gas — a one cent increase that would bring in $2.7 million.
“I think it would be bad timing now,” Brevard County resident Brooks Stowe told News 6’s Mike Valente, as Stowe was filling up his truck in Viera, where gas is $4.09 per gallon. “I think it would be ridiculous and I would want to know where that money would be going.”
During the commission discussion, county manager Jim Liesenfelt said the additional revenue could help fund things like transit services and road repaving.
After the discussion wrapped up, News 6 reached out to the Brevard County Attorney’s office to seek clarity on potential next steps.
A county spokesperson responded and explained that because no decisions were made Tuesday, this is a “dead issue as of now.”