Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Director's Name: Mark D. Bogen
Department: County Commission
Information
Requested Action
title
A. MOTION TO SUSPEND Section 18.7.j.1 of the Broward County Administrative Code (“Administrative Code”), which requires approval of a Commissioner-initiated Motion to Consider Rescission at the meeting prior to the Commission’s consideration of a Motion to Rescind a previous Commission action.
B. MOTION TO RESCIND Commission action on April 28, 2026 (Item No. 43), adopting a Resolution providing for a referendum election to be held on November 3, 2026, to determine whether to approve a 0.25% sales surtax for five years to fund the Broward County Health Care Plan, to permit consideration of the revised Resolution included in Part C of this item.
C. MOTION TO ADOPT Resolution, the title of which is as follows: (Mayor Bogen)
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA, PROVIDING FOR A REFERENDUM ELECTION TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 3, 2026, TO DETERMINE WHETHER TO APPROVE A 0.25% SALES SURTAX FOR A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS TO FUND THE BROWARD COUNTY HEALTH CARE PLAN; AND PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
body
Why Action is Necessary
Motions A and B: Necessary to permit the Broward County Board of County Commissioners (“Commission”) to consider and approve rescission of the prior action.
Motion C: Formal approval by the Commission is necessary for the adoption of a Resolution calling for a referendum election.
What Action Accomplishes
Motions A and B: Permits the Commission to consider and approve rescission.
Motion C: Permits Commission approval of a Resolution to provide for a referendum election.
Goal Related Icon(s)
☐County Commission
☐Go Green
☐MAP Broward
Previous Action Taken
Summary Explanation/Background
On April 28, 2026, the Commission enacted an Ordinance levying a 0.25% sales surtax for five years to fund the Broward County Health Care Plan, subject to approval of the electorate at a referendum election. At that same meeting, the Commission also adopted a Resolution calling for the required referendum election and setting forth the proposed ballot language. The agenda item for that Resolution had indicated that the ballot language may be subject to revisions. Alternate ballot language has now been developed. Rescission of the adopted Resolution (Motions A and B) will allow the Commission to consider and approve the alternate ballot language included in the proposed Resolution (Motion C).
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States-with one death every 34 seconds from cardiovascular disease-according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”). In 2022, the most recent year for which statistics are available, heart disease was the leading cause of death in Florida and in Broward County, accounting for 3,532 deaths in Broward County. Heart disease and cardiovascular disease are treatable diseases. Insurance plans typically do not cover preventive cardiac screening tests (e.g., calcium scoring (“CAC”) or a coronary CT angiography (“CCTA”)) at no additional cost to the patient.
The Florida Department of Health indicates that in 2024, cancer was the second leading cause of death in Florida, accounting for 47,990 deaths in Florida and for 3,427 deaths in Broward County. According to the Florida Cancer Data System, the top five most frequently diagnosed cancers-lung, breast, prostate, colorectal, and melanoma-account for approximately half of the cancer diagnoses in Florida.
The proposed Resolution, if adopted, would approve a referendum for the November 3, 2026, general election to levy an Indigent Care and Trauma Center Surtax (“Health Care Surtax”) in the amount of 0.25% for a period of five years to fund innovative, cost-effective programs that include cardiac and cancer preventive screenings, and a broad range of health care services for persons who are indigent or medically poor, including primary care, preventive care, and hospital care services, in accordance with the proposed Broward County Health Care Plan (“Health Care Plan”). As provided in the Ordinance enacted by the Commission on April 28, 2026, the Health Care Plan will be periodically reviewed and can be revised as determined appropriate.
This item is submitted after the deadline for supplemental items due to the recent development of the proposed language; deferral to a subsequent meeting would delay the Commission’s consideration of the alternate ballot language and the County’s publication of the ballot language for education of the electorate.
Source of Additional Information
Saidy Taveras, Chief of Staff, Commission District 2, 954-357-7002
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact/Cost Summary
None.