Port Saint Lucie Tax
A new tax in Port Saint Lucie will put new officers on the streets to watch for violators of road rules.
Officials say this isn’t about meeting quotas or costing taxpayers, it’s simply about making city streets safer.
Port Saint Lucie Police Assistant Chief Richard Del Toro says 2012 budget deficits in 2012 forced them to cut their Traffic Unit.
Soon, five officers will be selected to reform that unit and five additional officers will be hired to take their place.
Del Toro says they usually average about seven traffic fatalities per year. They’re now up to 11 so far in 2015.
Del Toro says the unit will pay extra attention to Bayshore Boulevard and Port Saint Lucie Boulevard as well as US 1 and Lennard Road. Those the two intersections with the highest number of crashes.
Last week, Port Saint Lucie city officials passed an 18% tax hike to help pay for several failed investments, including the company VGTI, which they paid 464 million in incentives.
