VIERA, FL, Oct. 29, 2026 — Brevard County voters will see a question on their Nov. 3 ballot about one of the county's biggest environmental programs: whether to keep the half-cent Save Our Indian River Lagoon sales tax for another decade.
The Brevard County Commission placed the question on the ballot by passing Ordinance 2026-06, which it enacted on May 19, 2026, according to the ordinance.[1]
How we got here
Brevard voters approved the original half-cent infrastructure sales tax on Nov. 8, 2016, the ordinance says. It was set to be collected from Jan. 1, 2017, through Dec. 31, 2026.[1]
Since then, the county's Save Our Indian River Lagoon Project Plan has been updated every year with changes recommended by a Citizen Oversight Committee and adopted by the County Commission, according to the ordinance. The plan's stated goals are to reduce sources of pollution, remove built-up pollution, restore naturally filtering ecosystems and respond to new information.[1]
The commission wrote that "the current surtax expires December 31, 2026," and that extending "dedicated funding" would keep the county positioned to leverage state and federal funding for lagoon projects "that would not otherwise be funded."[1]
What the ballot asks
The ordinance sets out the ballot question in "substantially the following form." Its title is "Renewal of the Save Our Indian River Lagoon Sales Tax." The question asks whether Brevard County should renew the existing sales tax "for ten years" to pay for infrastructure, capital projects and programs meant to improve water quality and wildlife habitat, remove muck and reduce pollution.[1]
The question also says all of the money would have to go into a trust fund used only for those purposes, "with continued citizen committee oversight and annual independent audits."[1]
Voters choose YES for the half-cent sales tax or NO against it.[1]
What happens if it passes
If a majority of people voting on the question say yes, the renewed tax starts Jan. 1, 2027, and runs for 10 years, according to the ordinance.[1]
There's one more condition. The ordinance says the renewal only takes effect if the county and cities representing a majority of the county's municipal population sign an agreement on how to split the money, as Florida law requires, before Jan. 1, 2027.[1] The original tax had an agreement signed by the county and every city and town in Brevard, the ordinance notes.[1]
What happens if it fails
If a majority votes no, the renewal "shall not be authorized," the ordinance says. The current tax would still run out on Dec. 31, 2026, as voters set it up in 2016.[1]
How to vote
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voters can check their sample ballot, polling place and mail ballot status with the Brevard County Supervisor of Elections.[2]
Those are the facts, directly from the source.
Sources
- Brevard County Board of County Commissioners, Ordinance 2026-06, "Renewal of the Half-Cent Local Government Infrastructure Sales Surtax for the Save Our Indian River Lagoon Project Plan," enacted May 19, 2026, filed with the Florida Secretary of State. https://mcclibraryfunctions.azurewebsites.us/api/ordinanceDownload/10473/1428841/pdf?forceDownload=true
- Brevard County Supervisor of Elections. https://www.votebrevard.gov/
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