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DeSantis floats getting rid of tolls for Florida residents

Toll booth at the Sunshine Skyway
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Toll roads in Florida reportedly collect more than $2 billion annually.

Gov. Ron DeSantis wants tourists to shoulder the cost of tolls instead of Florida residents.

Do Florida tolls take a toll on your wallet? There's a chance a change could leave you with more change.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is floating freeing Florida residents from roadway tolls. He thinks tourists could cover the cost.

"You could charge the visitors, and they could probably support it all and give our Florida residents a break," he said at Wednesday's Florida Cabinet meeting.

Tolls are used to maintain and operate certain highways. They also pay off bond debt from construction.

“They've been here since I can remember, like as a kid they had the tolls on the turnpike," DeSantis said. "At what point is all this going to be paid off?"

Florida has previously offered frequent toll road users a half-off credit, saving many hundreds of dollars in a year.

Toll roads in Florida reportedly collect more than $2 billion annually.

The governor was speaking to Ben Watkins, Florida's bond finance director, who responded, "We'll take a look at that."

If you have any questions about state government or the legislative process, you can ask the Your Florida team by clicking here.

This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Tallahassee can feel far away — especially for anyone who’s driven on a congested Florida interstate. But for me, it’s home.
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