There will be a new excise tax in Sarasota County in 2018. County leaders Tuesday voted for the tax to try and balance its budgets over the next three years. The plan is to levy a 5 percent public service tax on electricity, water and gas on residents and customers in unincorporated areas of the county. Financial data presented at Tuesday’s meeting claim it would raise about $5.4 million if implemented part way through next year and almost $11 million for each year after. Administrators said -for now- it’s either the excise tax, or a countywide property tax hike in 2020.
