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Hernando Today

Families Feel Burden of Sales Tax Ax

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By LINNEA BROWN

Hernando Today

Published: August 5, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - Back-to-school shopping will be a bleak experience this year for Spring Hill resident Carol Teal.
Her son, a middle school student, was previously accustomed to going shopping during Florida's annual 10-day sales tax break on back-to-school supplies. The family would go to Wal-Mart and Shoe Carnival together and her son would carefully choose items he liked.
Not this year. Now that Florida lawmakers have axed the popular break from the state's 6 percent sales tax, the family has been forced to look toward alternative options for school supplies.
This year, instead of sending money, her son's grandfather has purchased all of his school supplies, shoes and clothing in Alabama — where they still have a sales tax break — and is mailing them to the family.
"In the past, my son was always so excited to get that little bit of money and pick out his own supplies," Teal said. "It really helped him get in the mood for school."
But Teal, a substitute teacher and tutor, and her fiancé, a mechanic, are struggling with the same economic woes as numerous other parents across the state.
"I'm very disappointed. Of all the times we could have used the tax most, it's now," she said. "We've bought very little for my son. Thank goodness for grandpa in Alabama — it may not be a huge savings, but at least we get more for our buck there, without sales tax."
A part-time college student herself, Teal said she also would have liked to use the tax break for her own supplies.
"With the economy the way it is and no tax break, it's been a big hardship," she said. "I have a feeling there are going to be a lot of people this year in the same boat we're in."
In Hernando County, residents pay a 6.5 percent sales tax, due to a voter-approved tax for new school construction.
Local organizations are also bearing the brunt of the tax break ax. Monday, officials at the Jerome Brown Community Center in Brooksville were preparing for their annual Operation Backpack event, hosted in collaboration with the local organization Friends of the Children.
The event, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, aims to provide free backpacks filled with school supplies to more than 1,000 local students.
And with the discontinuation of the sales tax break, this year's need is higher than ever, said event organizer JoAnn Munford, who has organized the event for the past 14 years.
"We're getting calls about the backpacks all day, every day," she said. "We've had over 500 calls come in. People need every bit of money they (have) just to buy gas."
The back-to-school event will also include food items for 50 cents each for local families.
Last year, Floridians saved $41 million during the school tax holiday.
Lawmakers also did away with a similar tax break on hurricane supplies.
Monetary donations, backpacks and supplies are still needed for Operation Backpack. For more information, call (352) 544-5498.

Reporter Linnea Brown can be reached at 352-544-5289 or lbrown@hernandotoday.com.

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