A half-percent sales tax increase proposal on the ballot for Martin County residents

By: Tyler Hatfield

WPTV

October 2, 2024

MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — Tax payers could be on the hook to pay for preserving land in Martin County.

A question on the November ballot asks voters to increase the sales tax in the county by half a percent for 10 years to afford the land.

WPTV spoke to Michelle Graham from Martin County at Cove Road Park.

She said she’ll be voting "yes" for a 10-year half-percent sales tax increase on the ballot this November for the county to preserve over 46,000 acres of land, just like at Cove Road Park.

“You gotta pay to play, so to speak,” said Graham. “You got to take care of what’s around you. If you don’t take care of it, who is going to take care of it.”

Everyone WPTV spoke to in Martin County was in favor of the tax increase.

Jim Snedeker is a member of Martin County Forever, a nonprofit spearheading the measure. He said once the land is gone, it's gone forever.

Snedeker told WPTV the tax could bring in $18 million in revenue every year that will go into a fund for purchasing and preserving land in the the Blueways, the Indian River Lagoon Watershed, the Loxa-Lucie Headwaters and the Pal-Mar area.

The tax would not apply to groceries, pharmaceuticals, or school supplies.

Snedeker said county control is the best option for protecting the land.

“It will not be under the state jurisdiction," said Snedeker. "So, we won't have the hassles that we're currently having with Jonathan Dickinson and the state wanting to do various, what we consider, inappropriate things to those areas.”

He added that he hopes that the land purchased can be preserved like what is seen at Cove Road Park.

“The preserved areas are just so very special,” said Snedeker. “What's wonderful is that they will be preserved in perpetuity.”