OVIEDO, Fla. — Oviedo leaders were scheduled to come together Monday to discuss the future of the now-fourth-generation one-cent sales tax. Residents and visitors have paid the one-cent sales tax — which helps improve things like roads, sidewalks and buildings — for three decades. 

What You Need To Know

  • For the last 30 years, Oviedo has used a penny sales tax to maintain and improve roadways and sidewalks

  • But with this fourth-generation sales tax proposal, city leaders are considering using that money to improve the Oviedo Public Safety Building

  • Last year, voters rejected a ballot referendum to fund a new Oviedo Police Station

  • Now, city leaders are looking at using some of this sales tax money to fund improvements for the existing building

Last year, voters rejected a ballot referendum to fund a new Oviedo Police Station, a measure that would've raised property taxes.

Now, city leaders are looking at using some of this sales tax money to fund improvements for the existing Oviedo Public Safety Building.

“The roof is failing, the plumbing needs to be re-piped, it’s not ADA-compliant, it has a lot of issues," said Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladek. "The building, it does need to be overhauled. This would be an allowable use for the one-cent sales tax money, and it would allow us to do it without borrowing $40 million.”

Abraham Castro, a bistro at CFS Coffee who regularly commutes from Lake Nona to Oviedo, said he doesn't see an issue with the one-cent sales tax.

“All the roads in Oviedo are fine. It’s only really the traffic that is the only problem,” he said. “People will see what they need to pay, and if it’s just one cent, I don’t think they would mind that.” 

Sladek said city leaders are having this conversation now to get a feel of the council and residents’ perspective on using some of the money to improve the Oviedo Public Safety Building.

“Asking people to continue (the penny sales tax) is an ask to allow us to continue to have access to the amount of funding needed to maintain the status quo level of service,” Sladek said.