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Ballot Breakdown: Broward Voters Decide If To Pay Up A Penny For Projects

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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- Broward County voters will get to decide this election season if they want to pay up a penny more for county projects.

The extra penny paid would be part of the sales tax but exclude gas, food, and medicine.

The increase from 6% to 7% would provide a half a percent to county transportation projects like additional buses and routes, additional light rail and synchronized traffic.

The other half a percent would go to Broward's 31 cities for other projects like police and fire vehicles, sidewalks, and playgrounds.

Broward Mayor Marty Kiar supports the measure.

"Technically, the cities and county could raise property taxes but then we would not be working together. This will improve our transportation system," said Kiar.

The measure is expected to generate $15 billion in revenue over the next 30 years.

"As our population grows our roads get more crowded and we need better ways to move our people around," says Transportation Director Chris Walton.

An oversight board will make sure the money is spent wisely but Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca who voted 'no' on the tax proposal says it is a hard sell for voters

"The biggest obstacle is that the county and cities should have been preparing for this. It isn't the way to do it," said LaMarca.

To see how your city would use the money, click here.

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