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WPEC-TV CBS12 News :: News - Palm Beach County News - Palm Beach County commissioners put tax hike on hold

Palm Beach County commissioners put tax hike on hold

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. -- Palm Beach County commissioners are trying to figure out a way to pay for public transportation. Does that mean you should pay higher taxes? Today, the commissioners took a vote.

"This is a shameful shameful move," said Nancy Hogan.

Nancy Hogan is just one of many folks living in Palm Beach County blasting an idea to raise taxes.

"With all due respect have you lost your legislative heads? What are you thinking?" said Hogan.

At issue is whether voters should be asked to increase the county's sales tax by a half cent later this year. Tuesday morning commissioners discussed whether to put that choice on the ballot in November. The majority of them shooting down the proposal.

"I think this is a half-baked proposal and I'm disappointed that it was brought forward without a plan to spend the money. Without a plan to offset existing taxes," said Palm Beach County Commissioner Steve Abrams.

Currently the sales tax is 6-percent in Palm Beach County. The increase would bump it to 6.5 percent and would generate about $103 million a year in additional tax revenue for the county.

The money would go towards transportation costs like roads, bridges, and mass transit like Palm Tran, which may see some of the biggest impacts from the increase to help with service upgrades and operating costs.

In the end commissioners voting four to three to postpone the issue for another year. 

"There are a lot of people in Palm Beach County that are gonna be negatively impacted by this and its the poorest of the poor because they are the ones that are gonna be paying this," said Shelly Vana, Palm Beach County Commission Chair.

Within the next year, commissioners plan to meet and get more information about the potential impacts a half cent sales tax increase would have.Palm Beach County commissioners put tax hike on hold

Tuesday, May 1 2012, 08:19 PM EDT

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