JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Yesterday, Governor Rick Scott visited W.W. Gay Mechanical Contractor, a Jacksonville-based company with more than 1,000 employees throughout eight Florida locations, to highlight his proposal for $180 million in tax cuts for Florida families in his Securing Florida’s Future recommended budget. The Governor’s proposal includes sales tax holidays to help families prepare for the school year and hurricane season, and reductions to many of the fees on driver’s licenses. Since 2010, the Governor has cut taxes more than 80 times, saving Floridians more than $7.5 billion. Governor Scott also highlighted his proposed amendment to Florida’s Constitution to make it harder for politicians to raise taxes by requiring a supermajority vote by future Florida legislatures to raise any taxes or fees.
Governor Scott’s $180 million tax cut package includes:
Sales Tax Holidays to Save Families $88 Million – The Governor’s recommended budget includes funding for four sales tax holidays which will save Floridians an estimated $88 million in the upcoming fiscal year. These sales tax holidays include:
$73 million from a 10-day back-to-school sales tax holiday; and
$15 million from three one-week disaster preparedness sales tax holidays which would take place in May, June, and July.
Reduction in Driver’s License Fees to Save Floridians $87 Million – Governor Scott is proposing to reduce the fees for driver’s licenses. These fees were increased in 2009, prior to Governor Scott taking office. These fee cuts include:
$67 million in savings from reducing the fee for a renewal of a regular driver’s license by more than 58 percent from $48 to $20; and
$20 million in savings from reducing the fee on an original regular driver’s license by more than 43 percent from $48 to $27 and the fee on an original Commercial Driver’s License by more than 10 percent from $75 to $67.
Reduction in Traffic Citation Fines to Save Floridians $4 Million – Governor Scott is proposing to reinstate the 18 percent reduction of eligible traffic citation fines, which was repealed in 2009 prior to Governor Scott taking office, for individuals who attend a basic driver improvement school.