Demings stumps for penny sales tax

Citizens offer suggestions, gripes about SunRail, Lynx, congested roads

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings stumped for a penny increase in the county sales tax at a town hall meeting during which he listened to appeals from frustrated rail and bus users, motorists and bicyclists who suggested how the additional transportation dollars should be spent.

“I believe the time is now for us to really adequately address the transportation challenges that we have,” he said.

The gathering Wednesday night was Demings’ second push in three days to drum up support for a referendum next year on the extra sales tax he said the growing county desperately needs.

On Monday, the first-year mayor told Orange County’s legislative delegation the proposed 1-cent sales tax would be a “game-changer.” He said it would generate more than $630 million a year to be used solely for improving all modes of transportation in the county where 1,000 new residents arrive every week and 75 million tourists visit annually.

At the town hall event, about 200 people on filled a second-floor meeting room at Lynx Central Station in downtown Orlando to offer suggestion or gripe about roads, buses and trains.

Through a show of hands, about half of those gathered said they ride the bus or rail regularly.

Nearly all raised their hands when asked by Demings if they believed the traffic-congested region could come up with “meaningful solutions.”

“I just wanted to check here to see if we’re all on the same sheet of music,” he said.

With political clout earned from his landslide mayoral win last year after a decade as county sheriff, Demings announced in May that he planned to lead a drive this year and next to persuade voters to approve a

penny sales-tax boost and use the money to fund the Lynx bus service, pay for SunRail and improve the countywide road network.

Orange County commissioners will have to vote to put the measure in front of voters. The November 2020 presidential election ballot is the most likely target for the vote.

County commissioners Mayra Uribe and Emily Bonilla took in the meeting. U.S. Rep. Val Demings, DOrlando, the mayor’s wife, watched from the front row. His deputy chief of staff made neat notes on an easel of citizen suggestions and concerns.

Demings pledged that Orange’s plea to voters for the extra sales tax will differ from the pitch made by leaders in Osceola County, where voters rejected a similar measure by a more than 2-to-1 margin in May. He said Orange is drafting its spending plan for transportation money by asking citizens what they want and need.

He told the audience a sales-tax increase would raise more money — and shift some of the burden off local residents.

Demings estimated that 51% of the sales tax would be generated by tourists who drive Orange County roadways and contribute to the region’s congestion.

Attendees had no shortage of ideas about how to spend the extra revenue if the tax is approved.

Some complained about the “awful” look of Colonial Drive and the fact SunRail doesn’t go anywhere near the county’s largest employers: UCF, Disney and Universal.

The train also doesn’t have a connection at Orlando International Airport,

where 45 million tourists arrive annually. Maria Diaz Urbino, a resident of east Orange, said her support of the proposal would depend on the county improving transportation options where she lives.

“I need to see tangible commitments to improving the east side because it’s been neglected,” she said. “Everything goes to the west, to the tourists. I understand that they’re the ATMs of our community, but at the same time people live here.”

Eric Edwards, a rideshare driver who lives near the Florida Mall, said he most sympathizes with his customers who work at low-wage service jobs.

“They’re spending roughly an eighth of their paycheck every day to take Uber and Lyft because there’s not sufficient buses to run late or weekends…” he said.

Aaron Powell, president of the Orlando Bike Coalition, said the county needs to protect cyclists riding in bike lanes from other traffic. The region is among the nation’s deadliest for bicyclists and pedestrians.

“I’m a proponent of all types of public transportation, whether its buses or SunRail, and I know we need this extra funding,” Powell said. “But from a cyclist’s perspective, we want to see some of this money dedicated to safe separating infrastructure — not just painted white lines.”

Nearly two dozen speakers asked for more buses, weekend train service, dedicated bike lanes with barriers to separate cars from cyclists and fewer toll roads. The county is also collecting ideas online.

To fill out an online survey, go to ocfl.net/transportationsurvey.