Seminole County will soon add five cents to the price of every gallon of gas sold in the county, a move made to help fill a multi-million dollar hole in the county’s budget and to pay for the increasing costs of mass transportation.

Commissioners also agreed on Tuesday to hike Seminole’s public service tax on water and electric bills in the unincorporated areas from the current 4% to 10% to help pay for the sheriff’s office, fire department and parks.

Per state law, the tax increases required a supermajority vote — or at least four of the five commissioners voting in favor. Commissioner Bob Dallari was the only commissioner to vote against both increases.

The tax hikes on gas and utility bills come just a month after commissioners decided to raise the countywide general property tax

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