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JAX CHAMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS SUPPORTS "JOBS FOR JAX" PROPOSAL TO INCREASE SPENDING ON CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
The JAX Chamber Board of Directors supports the proposal from Mayor Lenny Curry and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority to extend and expand the Local Option Gas Tax.
The Chamber Board voted unanimously last week to support the proposal. Legislation was introduced this week and the proposal must be approved by the Jacksonville City Council.
State law allows counties to collect a Local Option Gas Tax ranging from 6 cents to 12 cents on every gallon of gas sold. Of Florida’s 67 counties, Duval County is now only one of 12 that levies just 6 cents. Nearly half of the counties in the state use the full 12 cents.
The “Jobs For Jax” proposal by Mayor Curry and JTA would extend the existing tax for 10 years and add the additional 6 cents to leverage the full 12 cents.
Using the gas tax as the revenue source for $300 million in city road projects will free up city general fund dollars to pay for critical infrastructure improvements and septic tank phase-outs in older neighborhoods.
In total, the extension will fund $930 million in needed projects and, by using the gas tax, the cost will be shared by the close to 100,000 people who commute into Jacksonville daily but live outside Duval County.
“This investment will not only make needed road and infrastructure improvements, it will also put people to work and create jobs in our community,” JAX Chamber Chair Henry Brown said. “The time is now. As business leaders, we need to get behind this proposal and I thank Mayor Curry and JTA CEO Nat Ford for their leadership.”
The project list includes $100 million in road resurfacing, major road projects in every City Council district and more than $129 million in drainage improvement projects. The work will also include converting the Skyway to the Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C) to support the transition to autonomous vehicles and expanding the service into neighborhoods near downtown – a project the Chamber has long supported.
“JTA is a national leader in autonomous vehicles and incorporating them in our downtown is one more step in building the innovation ecosystem we need to attract more tech investment to our city,” Brown said.
About JAX Chamber
The JAX Chamber is the business membership organization dedicated to driving quality economic growth in Northeast Florida to make this region the best place to live, work and play. Membership provides the opportunity to connect with and buy from other Chamber members. The connections result in business growth and a more prosperous economy.
