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Citrus County commissioners split on fuel-tax indexing and electric-vehicle fees as state budget tightens
Summary
Commissioners debated whether to include fuel-tax indexing and EV registration fees among state policy positions; some called indexing a short-term "band-aid," but the board kept the item on the county—s policy list while urging statewide action and clarifying it should not be a county-only imposition.
Commissioners at Citrus County—s legislative retreat spent more than an hour debating proposed state policies on fuel-tax indexing and electric-vehicle registration fees, illustrating division over immediate fairness and long-term transportation funding.
Commissioner Kennard said indexing local fuel taxes and adding EV registration fees are simply "putting a Band-Aid on a failing system," urging the legislature to develop a comprehensive statewide replacement for traditional gas-tax funding. "Driving up the cost" of gasoline, he argued, would disproportionately hurt residents with older, less-efficient vehicles.
Other commissioners said they support measures that ensure EVs "pay their fair share" because EV owners use roads but do not contribute to fuel-tax revenues. Commissioner Barrett argued that mileage-based or registration fees could be fair if adopted statewide rather than imposed by individual counties.
Sarah Suske, the county—s state lobbyist, told the board Florida lawmakers have long discussed alternative road-funding mechanisms as EV adoption grows and noted proposals often include fees to fund charging infrastructure. Suske advised presenting the county—s position as part of a statewide ask to avoid local competitive distortion.
After discussion, the board recorded consensus to support the broader suite of FAC-vetted state policy proposals but retained fuel-tax indexing on the county list with the caveat that the measure should be pursued statewide rather than as a county-level action. Commissioners directed staff to present the nuance to the county—s legislative delegation.
