ORLANDO, Fla. — A 1-cent increase of Orange County’s sales tax was an idea voters rejected back in 2022, but Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings is now considering revisiting that penny sales tax increase to help pay for transportation improvements throughout the county.

What You Need To Know

  • At their meeting Tuesday, the Orange County Commission is expected to bring back up a proposal to raise the county's sales tax by one penny to pay for transportation improvements

  • In 2022, only 42% percent of voters said yes to a penny sales tax increase that would have generated about $600 million each year

  • That money would have paid for transportation projects aimed at easing traffic congestion, improving public transit and making roadways safer for drivers, bikers and pedestrians

  • Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said in a memo to commissioners that he believes it was inflation and the impact from Hurricane Ian led to the idea failing in 2022

At their meeting Tuesday, Demings and the Orange County Commission are expected to bring up the matter for discussion. 

Demings said in a memo to commissioners he believes it was inflation and the impact of Hurricane Ian that led to only 42% of voters saying “yes” to the idea back in 2022. But he said transportation must be improved in the county due to continued rapid growth.

Annie Lott, who loves her plants and the environment, said she wishes fewer people would have to drive cars to get around. She said she didn’t need a car when she was a student at the University of Central Florida, but when she got a job, public transportation just wouldn’t cut it.

“The public transit system here isn’t decent enough to allow me to get to work on time,” Lott said.

Lott works in Lake Mary but lives near UCF. She said she tried to use public transportation for her commute, but it meant a large chunk of her day was spent on her commute.

“I would have to get on the Route 13, take it downtown — which is about an hour — get on SunRail, take SunRail up to Lake Mary, which is my job location,” she said. “It was about three hours just one way.”

In 2022, only 42% percent of voters said yes to a penny sales tax increase that would have generated about $600 million each year. County leaders say that money would have paid for transportation projects aimed at easing traffic congestion, improving public transit and making roadways safer for drivers, bikers and pedestrians. 

The county accelerated some of those plans with money available, despite the overall plan failing to get voter approval. 

Lott said she’s willing to pay the extra penny in sales tax per every dollar she spends on purchases.

“It’s absolutely worth it for me to pay a little extra so that I can have peace of mind and feel like I’m improving my community,” she said.

Lott said she hopes if county leaders put the transportation tax back on the ballot, the money would be used to improve public transportation.

“With this iteration of it, I’m really hoping they take out the roads,” said Lott. “We don’t need highways through conservation areas to promote more strip malls.”