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A '''referendum''' was held on Tuesday, [[June 26]], [[2007]] to determine whether or not the [[sales tax]] in [[Escambia County]] would be increased by one half-cent ($0.005) for a period of ten years, increasing the sales tax rate to 8.0% from the current tax rate of 7.5%. It was defeated almost 2-:1.<ref name="soe">[http://www.escambiavotes.com/07healthresults.php Supervisor of Elections unofficial results]</ref> The additional tax would have generated an expected $15 million to $17 million yearly to fund primary and preventive healthcare for Escambia County residents who lack health insurance and meet certain other criteria.
==Official ballot wording==
==Results and context==
The surtax was soundly defeated on [[June 26]], with 22,121 (65.4%) voting "no" and only 11,705 (34.6%) voting "yes" — a ratio of almost 2-:1. Voter turnout was only 18.86%.<ref name="soe"/>
A similar proposal by [[AccessEscambia]] had been defeated by voters in the [[November 2]], [[2004]] election, 74,367 to 60,278.<ref>"No tax increase to provide basic health care for needy." ''Pensacola News Journal'', November 3, 2004.</ref> At the time, many proponents blamed the defeat on skyrocketing expenses in the wake of [[Hurricane Ivan]], as well as low voter awareness amid the cacophony of a presidential election, and hoped a second measure devoted only to the surtax would be more successful.<ref>"Health tax up to voters." ''Pensacola News Journal'', June 17, 2007.</ref> However, by [[2007]] the [[sales tax]] in [[Escambia County]] had risen another half-percent to 7.5%, and many homeowners continued to face increases in both [[property tax]]es and [[windstorm insurance]].