• Fifty-five counties out of 67 currently levy a sales tax to meet community needs.
• Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Hernando and Sumter counties all levy a sales tax.
• The sales tax in Pasco is 6%. When you shop in Hillsborough County, you pay a 7.5% sales tax which helps pay for education, public safety and the stadium.
• Many people who oppose the sales tax for Pasco are already paying the sales tax to support other counties. Think about how much of your income is spent in Hillsborough or Pinellas County. Every time you visit a shopping mall in Hillsborough County you help support their schools by paying the penny.
• In 1992 we received $250 per student from the lottery. That figure is now down to less than $20 per student.
• The one cent sales tax, if approved, will stay in our county and by state statute it must be used in Pasco for capital outlay to build and renovate existing schools.
• The additional penny sales tax is only charged on the first $5,000 of any purchase ($5,000 x .01 = $50), so that on any single purchase you will never pay more than $50. A $20,000 car and a $40,000 car will each only cost $50 in additional tax.
• Everyone pays the sales tax including visitors and tourists.
• The penny sales tax is not charged on food and medication.