FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Fort Pierce officials have formally backed placing St. Lucie County’s half-cent infrastructure sales tax on the November ballot, joining other municipalities in support of renewing the measure for another decade.
City commissioners voted unanimously to support the referendum, which would extend the existing tax that has funded local infrastructure projects since voters first approved it in 2018.
Under the proposal, the tax rate would remain the same and continue generating revenue for road improvements, stormwater projects and other public infrastructure across the county and its cities.
Explaining the city’s action, Fort Pierce City Clerk Linda Cox said the measure has been an important source of funding for local projects.
“We have, since 2018, had the benefit of a one-half cent sales tax surtax that has been funding much of our infrastructure, primarily our road resurfacing projects, and this effort reauthorizes that for another 10 years,” Cox said.
She noted that the referendum must ultimately be placed on the ballot by county officials, but municipalities have been passing resolutions to indicate their support.
“The county is the one that has to place it on the ballot, but both the City of Fort Pierce, the City of Port St. Lucie, and I think St. Lucie Village is probably going to do this as well,” Cox said. “We're just showing our support that we would like to continue this effort.”
Since the tax took effect, the city has used the funding for several infrastructure improvements, including a more than $16 million citywide street resurfacing project and repairs to the Citrus Overpass Bridge.
County officials are seeking to place the question before voters before the current tax expires in 2028 to avoid a potential gap in funding between the end of the current term and the start of a new one.
Over the next decade, the tax is projected to generate more than $31 million countywide. Estimates show about $15 million going to the county, roughly $13 million to Port St. Lucie, about $3 million to Fort Pierce and approximately $3,600 to St. Lucie Village.
Local officials say spending from the tax is monitored through an oversight process to ensure the funds are used for their intended purposes.
“We have an infrastructure sales tax committee that kind of looks over it and makes sure we're spending the money where we're supposed to be spending the money,” Cox said. “They do a report every year to the city commission, just kind of saying that we're doing what we're supposed to be doing.”
City leaders say the revenue has helped address long-standing infrastructure needs that previously lacked dedicated funding.
“It certainly made a difference because before that we had very, very little money,” said Linda Hudson.
If county commissioners approve placing the referendum on the ballot, voters across St. Lucie County would decide in November whether to extend the half-cent sales tax for another 10 years.