Palm Beach County Vice Mayor Asks DeSantis to Allow Local Gas Tax Pause

Woodward seeks state approval to temporarily suspend county's 12-cent gas tax to provide relief for drivers

Apr. 15, 2026 at 9:40pm

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A photorealistic painting of a lone gas pump on a city street, with the pump's reflection visible on the pavement. The scene is bathed in warm, golden light and deep shadows, creating a sense of quiet contemplation about the challenges of balancing tax relief and infrastructure funding.A temporary pause on local gas taxes could provide much-needed relief for drivers, but would also require finding alternative funding sources for critical transportation infrastructure.Palm Beach Today

Palm Beach County Vice Mayor Marci Woodward has written a letter to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and state representatives, requesting that local governments be given the authority to temporarily pause local gas taxes. Woodward argues that this would provide immediate relief to working families and small businesses without imposing new costs on the state, while preserving the overall structure of the local option tax system.

Why it matters

With gas prices in Palm Beach County averaging $4.22 per gallon, a temporary pause on the 12-cent county gas tax could save drivers around $2.40 on a 20-gallon fill-up. However, this revenue currently funds critical transportation infrastructure and public transit operations, so any tax relief would need to be balanced with alternative funding sources.

The details

Woodward's request comes after county staff informed commissioners that local governments are not currently allowed to pause local gas taxes, halting a proposed pause on Palm Beach County's 12-cent gas tax. Woodward argues that empowering counties with this flexibility would allow for a nimble, localized response to regional conditions, similar to the state-level gas tax holiday championed by DeSantis in 2022.

  • In March 2026, Woodward first requested an investigation into the feasibility of a local gas tax pause in Palm Beach County.
  • On April 11, 2026, Woodward updated county commissioners that a local gas tax pause is not currently allowed under state law.
  • On April 15, 2026, Woodward sent a letter to Governor DeSantis and state representatives requesting state approval for local governments to temporarily pause gas taxes.

The players

Marci Woodward

The vice mayor of Palm Beach County who is requesting state approval to allow local governments to temporarily pause gas taxes.

Ron DeSantis

The governor of Florida who Woodward has written to, requesting the authority for local governments to pause gas taxes.

Sara Baxter

The mayor of Palm Beach County who has expressed support for tax relief, while emphasizing the need for alternative funding sources.

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What they’re saying

“Empowering counties with this tool would deliver immediate, tangible relief to working families and small businesses across Florida without imposing any new costs on the state. It would also affirm the principle of local control that has served our state so well.”

— Marci Woodward, Palm Beach County Vice Mayor

“This limitation prevents counties from exercising the same kind of nimble, localized response that the legislature and you have demonstrated in the past. In 2022, you successfully championed a state level gas tax holiday that provided meaningful relief to Floridians when prices spiked. Giving counties parallel flexibility for their own portion of the fuel tax would allow us to respond quickly to regional conditions, while preserving the overall structure of the local option tax system.”

— Marci Woodward, Palm Beach County Vice Mayor

What’s next

Governor DeSantis and state representatives will review Woodward's request and determine whether to grant local governments the authority to temporarily pause gas taxes.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing challenges of balancing the need for tax relief with the funding requirements for critical transportation infrastructure and public transit. While a temporary gas tax pause could provide immediate financial relief for drivers, it would also require finding alternative revenue sources to maintain essential services.