Flagler County re‑levies 6¢ local option gas tax through Dec. 31, 2054

Flagler County commissioners on June 2 approved an ordinance to re‑levy the county's 6¢ local option gas tax on motor and special fuels for an additional 29 years and four months, extending the levy through Dec. 31, 2054.

Sarah Spector, assistant county attorney, explained that statute allows counties to re‑levy the tax for the statutory maximum and that because the levy will take effect Sept. 1 this year, the new effective period runs to Dec. 31, 2054. "The statute allows for additional increments, but the 5¢ and 1¢ increments have statutory limitations and require either a referendum or a supermajority for approval," Spector told the board.

Commissioners asked whether the term could be shorter or whether the amount could be changed; Spector said the initial 6¢ levy can be approved by a majority, while additional increments (an extra 5¢ or 1¢) would require either voter referendum or a supermajority of the board and separate advertising requirements.

There was no public comment on the ordinance during the hearing. Commissioner Hansen moved to approve the ordinance; the motion was seconded by Commissioner Richardson and passed unanimously.

County staff noted the levy and its distribution were coordinated with an interlocal agreement with municipalities that was approved at a prior meeting. The county attorney said the interlocal establishes distribution for the participating municipalities and the county and that the recent consent‑agenda item for distribution had been pulled only to avoid duplication with that interlocal.

The ordinance will be transmitted per statutory requirements and the county will implement the levy effective Sept. 1; if the board later seeks additional increments beyond the 6¢, staff said those would require the higher thresholds provided in statute or a public referendum.