Lee County School Board looks to raise sales tax

Lee County School Board wants to raise the sales tax, and residents who this will effect have mixed feelings about the increase.

The sales tax the school board wants to increase will benefit schools in the county. They say the half cent tax increase is due to a rising number of students inside the schools.

The school board is holding a town hall tonight at 6:30 PM, but they have already come up with a set list of questions they intend to answer.

“It’s all kind of cut and dry, my goodness they’ve been over these questions for a long time,” said Dan Hill, a resident of Fort Myers. “Unless they come up with something that is going to be concrete that this half cent is going to apply to specifically, people I don’t think are going to sign on,” Hill said.

Although some disagree with the increase, people like Roxanne Lawrence, who taught kids for more than 14 years are on board with it.

“We need to help the teachers. I understand they are paid very little in the state of Florida and a half a percent would help them,” said Lawrence.

School Board members say that according to Florida statue, the money can only go towards capital needs like facilities, construction, and maintenance.