No. It would continue the half-cent sales tax voters approved in 2018. The rate would stay the same. If approved, it would run from Jan. 1, 2029, through Dec. 31, 2038.

Can the money pay for salaries or parks?

No. Under state law and the county’s rules, it can only pay for lasting public projects like roads, bridges, sidewalks, drainage and water quality. It can’t pay salaries or day-to-day costs.

How much extra do I pay on a big purchase like a car?

Florida law applies the half-cent only to the first $5,000 of a single item, so the most this tax adds to one item is $25.

What happens if it fails?

The current tax ends when its term is up in 2028. The county attorney said the county could put it back on the ballot in 2028 as a new tax.

Early voting is Oct. 19–31, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Election Day is Nov. 3, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The deadline to request a mail ballot is Oct. 22 at 5 p.m.

Taxes & money

St. Lucie County’s half-cent sales tax is on the Nov. 3 ballot: what it pays for and how long it would run

The 2018 half-cent tax for roads, sidewalks and water quality ends in 2028, and Ballot #14 asks voters whether to run it 10 more years.

October 10, 2026 · 4 min read · St. Lucie County, Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, St. Lucie Village

When you buy something in St. Lucie County, part of the sales tax goes to local roads, sidewalks and drainage. That part is a half-cent on each dollar. Voters added it in 2018 for 10 years. It ends in 2028. On Nov. 3, 2026, voters will be asked whether to keep it for 10 more years.

This story explains what the tax is, what the money can and can’t be used for, who pays it, and the dates you need to know. It does not tell you how to vote.

The tax we have now

On Nov. 6, 2018, 55.79 percent of county voters said yes to a half-cent sales tax for 10 years. Collection started in January 2019. The total sales tax in St. Lucie County is 7 percent, and this half-cent is part of that 7 percent.

It was not the first try. TCPalm reported that a 2016 version failed with 46.85 percent of the vote. That one did not say how the money would be split. The 2018 version was backed by the cities and spelled out the split, and it passed.

What the Nov. 3 ballot asks

It is Ballot #14, titled “Half-Cent Local Government Surtax.” The question says the money would go to local roads, less traffic, new sidewalks, cleaner water including the Lagoon, and less neighborhood flooding, plus matching money for those uses. It asks whether the county shall “levy a half-cent sales tax, for ten years.” An independent citizens committee would review the spending across Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, St. Lucie Village and the county. You mark FOR or AGAINST.

WQCS reported that, if approved, the tax would run from Jan. 1, 2029, through Dec. 31, 2038. The rate would stay at a half-cent. The city of Fort Pierce says that if the measure fails, the current tax simply ends when its time is up.

What the money can and can’t pay for

State law, Florida Statute 212.055(2), sets the rules. The money must go to “infrastructure.” That means building or fixing public things that last five years or more, plus the land, design and engineering for them. The law says the money can’t pay the day-to-day costs of running those things.

The county’s tax website says local governments can’t use it for salaries, new positions, or non-building costs such as parks. It also says it can’t buy equipment like dump trucks.

What the 2018 tax has paid for

The county’s 2024–2025 report says 53 projects are done and 37 more are planned or underway. The county also brought in about $13.9 million in grants to stretch the money. Some examples from the county:

Keen Road bridge over Taylor Creek, replaced with about $5.5 million in sales tax money
Shinn Road repaving from Orange Avenue to Midway Road
Edwards Road rebuilt from U.S. 1 to Oleander Avenue, finished in April 2024
Bridge repairs on Range Line Road, Johnston Road, South 25th Street and Glades Cut Off Road
A sidewalk on Oleander Avenue from Midway Road to South Market Avenue
Upgrades to traffic signals at 60 intersections

WQCS reported that Fort Pierce used its share on a citywide street repaving job of more than $16 million and on repairs to the Citrus Overpass bridge. Port St. Lucie’s proposed list for the next round includes road widenings, corridor work, drainage and traffic safety projects.

How much it raises and how it is split

State law says the money is split by an agreement between the county and its cities, or by a state formula if there is no agreement. The county’s report shows its own share brought in about $15.6 million in the 2025 budget year. In March, WQCS reported estimated shares of more than $31 million in projected revenue: about $15 million to the county, about $13 million to Port St. Lucie, about $3 million to Fort Pierce and about $3,600 to St. Lucie Village.

Who pays

Anyone who buys taxable items in the county pays it, including visitors. The county estimates that as much as 20 percent comes from people who don’t live here. Groceries, gas and medicine are not taxed.

What supporters and doubters have said

Leslie Olson, who sits on the oversight committee, told WQCS, “This is not a new tax.” Commissioner Cathy Townsend said that without it, the county would face a “shortfall” in keeping up roads, swales and sidewalks.

Some commissioners worried about timing, not the tax itself. Commissioner James Clasby said a ballot with other tax questions could “confuse the voters.” Commissioner Erin Lowry said voters may see the word “tax” and vote no. The county’s own Q&A page also answers a common worry: that sales taxes hit lower-income people harder.

County Attorney Katherine Barbieri said that if it fails this year, it can go back on the ballot in 2028, but as a new tax.

What to do

Read the full ballot question and project lists at slchalfcent.org.
Check your voter status and your sample ballot at stlucievotes.gov.
Need a mail ballot? The last day to ask for one to be mailed is Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, at 5 p.m. Your ballot must reach the elections office by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3. Postmarks don’t count.
Early voting runs Monday, Oct. 19, through Saturday, Oct. 31, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Questions? Call the St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections at (772) 462-1500 (Spanish: (772) 448-5169).

Common questions

Is this a new tax?: No. It would continue the half-cent sales tax voters approved in 2018. The rate would stay the same. If approved, it would run from Jan. 1, 2029, through Dec. 31, 2038.
Can the money pay for salaries or parks?: No. Under state law and the county’s rules, it can only pay for lasting public projects like roads, bridges, sidewalks, drainage and water quality. It can’t pay salaries or day-to-day costs.
How much extra do I pay on a big purchase like a car?: Florida law applies the half-cent only to the first $5,000 of a single item, so the most this tax adds to one item is $25.
What happens if it fails?: The current tax ends when its term is up in 2028. The county attorney said the county could put it back on the ballot in 2028 as a new tax.
When can I vote?: Early voting is Oct. 19–31, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Election Day is Nov. 3, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The deadline to request a mail ballot is Oct. 22 at 5 p.m.