FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: July 16, 2026
Contact: Keith Varian/(656) 777-2115
Keith@VoteVarian2026.com
VARIAN REJECTS INSIDER MILLIONS IN NEW FEC FILINGS, FOCUSES ON THE SQUEEZE FACING FL-14 WORKING FAMILIES
TAMPA, FL — Following the Federal Election Commission’s (FEC) July 15 second-quarter campaign finance disclosure deadline, qualified independent write-in candidate Keith Varian released a sharp rebuke of the millions of dollars pouring into Florida’s 14th Congressional District from special interests and personal fortunes.
Freshly published FEC documents confirm that while everyday families across Tampa and Riverview face punishing economic pressures, major-party campaigns are operating on an entirely different financial planet. Multi-millionaire candidates like Kevin Steele continue to use massive personal checking accounts to self-fund their operations, while incumbent Rep. Kathy Castor leans heavily on out-of-district corporate PAC money [💰].
"The finance reports dropped last night, and they show exactly what is wrong with our political system," Varian stated. "While my opponents are bragging about the size of their campaign war chests, the voters of FL-14 are watching their household budgets get crushed. Gas prices are sits at a brutal $3.81 a gallon [⛽], auto and property insurance premiums are soaring out of control, and local utility bills are higher than ever. These wealthy insiders are completely insulated from the real-world consequences of the energy and housing crisis."
Varian's campaign finance filing stands out as a pure grassroots, people-powered effort. Rather than focusing on television ad buys, Varian’s platform connects foundational energy logistics directly to the district's top survival concerns.
"High energy costs aren't an isolated problem—they drive up the cost of everything," Varian explained. "A 60% spike in commercial diesel makes concrete, steel, and timber delivery more expensive, which drives up rent and halts affordable housing construction. It drains local road-paving budgets in South Hillsborough County. And with national fuel buffers at a decade low, a severe storm could send reconstruction costs soaring, driving our property insurance premiums even higher. You cannot drill your way out of this overnight, and you certainly can't regulate it away with empty political promises."
Varian concludes that the path forward for FL-14 relies on immediate, common-sense structural intervention—such as emergency shipping waivers to flood Port Tampa Bay with domestic fuel and strict caps on emergency utility surcharges.
"My campaign reported zero corporate PAC dollars because my only obligation is to the people sitting at their kitchen tables trying to make ends meet," said Varian. "On August 15, when these fuel supply bottlenecks hit their seasonal peak, you don't need a millionaire’s lecture. You need a representative who lives in the real economy. That is why you write in Keith Varian."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 12, 2026
CONTACT:Keith Varian
Keith@votevarian2026.com
656-777-2115
VoteVarian2026.com
FL-14 CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE Keith Varian UNVEILS FEDERAL BLUEPRINT TO RESCUE TAMPA TAXPAYERS FROM STADIUM COSTS
TAMPA, FL — Today, Keith Varian, candidate for Florida’s 14th Congressional District, released a comprehensive public policy memorandum outlining a federal grant strategy designed to offset the public infrastructure costs of the proposed $2.3 billion Tampa Bay Rays stadium.
The announcement comes during a critical pause in local negotiations, following the Tampa City Council’s June decision to delay its high-stakes vote on the stadium package until August 20, 2026.
To ensure local leaders have access to this alternative funding roadmap, VARIAN has sent formal letters and copies of the policy blueprint to key local stakeholders, including Tampa City Council members, Hillsborough County Commissioners, and former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn.
"Our local leaders are facing immense pressure to fund a stadium using hard-earned local tax dollars that should be going to neighborhood roads, parks, and public safety," said VARIAN. "We do not have to choose between keeping our sports teams and protecting our taxpayers. Washington funds billions of dollars in regional infrastructure every year. As Tampa’s next representative in Congress, I am ready to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our local officials to bring those federal dollars home."
The published policy blueprint identifies four major federal funding pipelines that the current city administration has not yet moved to secure:
DOT RAISE & INFRA Grants for transit hubs, pedestrian walkways, and event traffic management.
FEMA BRIC Grants for critical stormwater infrastructure and flood mitigation.
EPA Brownfields Grants for site assessments and environmental remediation.
By publishing the plan openly, VARIAN aims to inject a viable, taxpayer-friendly solution into the public debate before final municipal votes are cast in August.
"I am not just offering advice; I am offering a long-term congressional partnership," VARIAN added. "When I am elected to the U.S. House, I will personally champion these grant applications in Washington. Let’s build the federal funding framework together right now, so we hit the ground running on day one."
The full policy memorandum, titled "The Federal Lifeline: A Blueprint to Offset Tampa Stadium Costs and Protect Local Taxpayers," is available to the public at votevarian2026.com
Letter to Governor DeSantis
May 14, 2026
The Honorable Ron DeSantis
Governor of Florida
The Capitol
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
Dear Governor DeSantis,
I am writing as a constituent and a candidate for Florida's 14th Congressional District to formally propose a structured, data-driven consumer energy relief framework designed to protect Floridians during periods of extreme market volatility. Specifically, I urge your administration to champion legislation establishing an automated, conditional fuel tax holiday mechanism.
Our state’s families and businesses are experiencing severe pressure at the pump. According to current AAA fuel data, the Florida state average for regular unleaded gasoline has climbed to $4.39 per gallon, marking a four-year high. Regional factors, including shifting export market dynamics along the Gulf Coast, continue to pull local costs closer to volatile international levels, with prices in the Tampa Bay area mirroring these statewide surges.
Rather than relying on retroactive or manual legislative interventions, Florida would benefit from a predictable, emergency safety net that activates automatically upon reaching predefined market thresholds. I propose a framework structured as follows:
• Activation Trigger: An immediate suspension of the state fuel tax for a minimum duration of 60 days, enacted automatically the moment the state average for regular unleaded gasoline reaches $6.00 per gallon.
• Deactivation Clause: The suspension would remain in effect until the state average for regular unleaded gasoline drops below $5.50 per gallon and maintains that level for 30 consecutive days.
While current prices hover near $4.40, a surge to $6.00 per gallon represents an acute economic crisis that would severely impact working families, independent contractors, and statewide logistics networks. By establishing explicit, rule-based triggers, this policy provides market predictability, safeguards transportation infrastructure funding during normal price cycles, and delivers targeted fiscal relief precisely when extreme inflation threatens state commerce.
Thank you for your time, leadership, and consideration of this structural solution to safeguard Florida taxpayers against unprecedented energy inflation.
Respectfully yours,
Keith Varian
Candidate, U.S. House of Representatives (FL-14)
12308 Adventure Drive
Riverview, FL 33579
Letter to Secretary of Energy
Keith Varian/Candidate FL-14/Principal Energy Security Analyst
Keith@votevarian2026.com/(656)777-2115
DATE: June 21, 2026
TO: The Honorable Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy The Executive Secretary, National Security Council
FROM: Keith Varian/Principal Energy Security Analyst
SUBJECT: Submission of Policy Framework for SPR Stabilization and Refill Pacing
Dear Mr. Secretary and Members of the National Security Council, Enclosed please find the comprehensive policy brief and operational framework detailing the proposed multi-year stabilization strategy for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). Given that domestic stockpiles sit at a critical multi-decade low of 340.25 million barrels (47.6% capacity) and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed as of today, immediate, coordinated structural action is required to preserve national energy resilience. This packet contains the finalized policy memorandum, infrastructure breakdown, and fiscal appropriations roadmap required to execute this national security directive without triggering consumer price inflation.
POLICY MEMORANDUM
1. Purpose
This brief outlines the immediate national security necessity to transition the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) from active drawdown status into a high-priority, aggressive replenishment phase. The compound effects of past geopolitical interventions and the heavy emergency loan distributions mandated during the first half of 2026 have structurally compromised the nation's primary defense against unforeseen global supply interruptions.
2. Current Inventory Baseline & Operational Status
The operational integrity of the SPR sits at its weakest juncture in over four decades:
Authorized Physical Capacity: 714.0 million barrels.
Current Volume (June 2026 Data): 340.25 million barrels.
Capacity Utilization: 47.6%.
Historical Baseline: This matches inventory lows last observed in August 1983, erasing all reserve buffers rebuilt over the past two years.
3. Core Drivers of Structural Depletion
The current supply crisis is driven by two heavily intersecting factors:
The 2026 Hormuz Crisis Intervention: Following acute regional hostilities and subsequent blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, the White House coordinated with the International Energy Agency (IEA) to release 400 million barrels globally. The U.S. directly committed 172 million barrels from the SPR via emergency exchange mechanisms to stave off catastrophic jumps in domestic gasoline prices ($4.50+/gallon).
Compounded Drawdowns: This emergency injection comes on top of the lingering structural damage from the 180-million-barrel release implemented during the 2022 Ukraine crisis, combined with ongoing, non-discretionary congressional budget sales.
4. Supply Risk & Depletion Projections
The current baseline leaves the U.S. economy highly exposed to severe operational bottlenecks:
The Vulnerability Window: Because the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to commercial traffic today due to regional hostilities, persistent mine threats, and prohibitive maritime insurance, nearly a quarter of global oil transits are at a near-standstill. Normalizing supply chains will take months once resolved, leaving the U.S. critically exposed during the high-demand summer fuel peak and Atlantic hurricane season.
The 2031 Structural Floor: Projections from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) highlight that if remaining legislated mandatory budget sales are left un-repealed, statutory withdrawals will anchor long-term baseline storage at a mere 335 million barrels through 2031, rendering the reserve functionally toothless for future black-swan crises.
5. Fiscal Appropriations Framework
Direct market buy-backs are severely constrained by current market conditions. With West Texas Intermediate (WTI) trading around $77–$80 per barrel under the pressure of the shipping freeze, the Department of Energy (DOE) must execute a dual-track financial strategy to secure replacement volumes without triggering a domestic price spike.
Track 1: Budgetary Funding Requirements
Target Purchase Volume: 200 million barrels (to restore baseline readiness).
Estimated Price Deck: $80.00/barrel (assuming counter-cyclical purchases).
Gross Capital Required: $16.0 billion in total discretionary appropriations.
Track 2: Non-Taxpayer Exchange Premium Extraction
The 1.2-to-1 Return Premium: The 172-million-barrel emergency distribution was structured as an exchange loan rather than a permanent sale.
Premium Inflow: Borrowing commercial entities are contractually obligated to return the base volume plus an 18% to 22% physical premium.
Fiscal Offset: This mechanism will organically return 34.4 million premium barrels directly into the caverns between late 2026 and 2028 at zero cost to taxpayers, reducing the new Congressional Emergency Appropriation requirement to 165.6 million barrels ($13.25B).
6. Structural Constraints: Cavern Flow Rates & Refill Pacing
Replenishing the SPR is limited by strict physical infrastructure realities and domestic market safeguards. Decades of heavy emergency drawdowns have caused structural damage to the deep salt caverns, requiring over $100 million in ongoing integrity repairs under Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Physical Inflow Caps: Because the salt caverns rely on displaced brine and complex water-injection piping, the maximum structural refill rate across all sites is mechanically capped at approximately 1.0 million barrels per day (mb/d).
Commercial Refill Pacing (3 Million Barrels/Month): In practice, buying 30 million barrels on the open market in a single month would restrict commercial supply and drive up consumer gas prices. To prevent this, the DOE must cap its total monthly procurement at 3.0 million barrels per month.
Extended Recovery Timeline:
Restoring the 200-million-barrel deficit at a market-safe flow of 3.0 million barrels per month requires approximately 66 months (5.5 years), pushing full restoration out to late 2031. To manage this pace, monthly procurement is allocated across regional infrastructure nodes:
Louisiana Distribution Complex (1.9M bbl/mo total): West Hackberry (1.4M bbl/mo) | Bayou Choctaw (0.5M bbl/mo)
Texas Distribution Complex (1.1M bbl/mo total): Bryan Mound (0.6M bbl/mo) | Big Hill (0.5M bbl/mo)
7. Policy Recommendations for Immediate Action
Petition for Immediate Emergency Appropriations: Coordinate with congressional leadership to pass a $13.25 billion emergency supplemental bill earmarked exclusively for counter-cyclical SPR crude acquisition.
Enforce Mandatory Exchange Schedules: Formally notify commercial counterparties that all emergency loan barrels distributed during the first half of 2026 must adhere strictly to scheduled payback windows to maximize the intake of the 34.4 million premium barrels.
Coordinate Congressional Repeals: Petition Congress to freeze, pause, or permanently repeal all remaining non-emergency, deficit-offset SPR sales slated through fiscal year 2028.
Impose an Outflow Cap to Preserve Operational Flexibility: Establish a temporary policy floor at 243 million barrels. Any further drawdown beyond this limit risks systemic cavern collapse and would completely compromise national defense capabilities during an extended global maritime conflict.
Dear Tampa Bay Rays Ownership, Hillsborough County Commissioners, and City of Tampa Officials,
We are writing to propose a critical enhancement to the pending stadium framework at the Dale Mabry campus. By shifting from traditional municipal bonding to an IRS tax-exempt "Empty Bond Status" framework, we can maximize structural savings, elevate resident security, and aggressively leverage federal HUD Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) alongside advanced federal infrastructure grants.
This optimization minimizes taxpayer exposure while completely fulfilling ownership’s vision for a world-class sports and entertainment district.
1. Structural Cost Savings via IRS "Empty Bond Status"
Eliminate Debt Service: Utilizing an IRS-compliant, tax-exempt "empty bond" or conduit financing structure allows the public to provide tax-exempt status to the project's infrastructure without issuing traditional, high-interest municipal debt.
Zero General Fund Risk: The county and city maintain a non-bonding, pay-as-you-go posture. Private capital funds the upfront costs, while benefiting from the tax-exempt status allowed under federal maritime and economic development zones.
Compounded Interest Savings: Bypassing standard underwriting and multi-decade bond amortization schedules saves taxpayers and developers an estimated \(\$150\) million to \(\$250\) million in lifetime interest fees.
2. Safeguarding Resident Security and Local Housing
HUD CDBG Integration: By intentionally carving out affordable housing and mixed-use commercial space within the 113-acre footprint, the project qualifies for HUD Community Development Block Grants (CDBG).
Anti-Displacement Funds: CDBG allocations will be legally firewalled to fund neighborhood stabilization, local job-training corridors, and physical security infrastructure (enhanced lighting, modern policing substations, and smart-city grid monitoring) for the surrounding communities.
Tax Stabilization Caps: A portion of the Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) revenues will fund a property tax stabilization program, ensuring legacy residents are not priced out by the stadium's economic lift.
3. Aggressive Infrastructure Grant Stacking
Raising the Infrastructure Ceiling: We urge the joint task force to aggressively pursue federal Mega Grants and Promote Infrastructure Resilience (PROTECT) grants via the Department of Transportation.
Intermodal Transit Hub: Upgrading the Dale Mabry corridor requires heavy transit infrastructure. Federal grants can shoulder up to 80% of the burden for stormwater management, grid resilience, and dedicated rapid-transit lanes connecting downtown Tampa to the stadium.
Private-Public Matching: By matching the Rays' ($1.27) billion private investment against federal infrastructure programs, the region can secure priority ranking for highly competitive federal dollars, sparing local gas and sales tax pools.
Conclusion and Next Steps
This refined financial model delivers a true win-win. The Tampa Bay Rays secure a world-class, asset-backed entertainment district with optimized tax advantages, while Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa eliminate long-term debt liabilities, enhance resident security, and rebuild critical infrastructure using federal funds.
We request a formal agenda item at the next joint commission workshop to present the legal and financial architecture required to execute this strategy.
Sincerely,
Keith Varian/Community Infrastructure & Economic Development Taskforce
(813)380-5761 / KVarian1@yahoo.com
Riverview, FL Resident / Community Advocate
Financial Addendum: IRS Conduit "Empty Bond" Mechanics
To: Hillsborough County Bond Counsel, City of Tampa Chief Financial Officer, and Rays Ownership Financial Team
From: Community Infrastructure & Economic Development Taskforce
Subject: Implementation Architecture for Tax-Exempt Conduit Financing (IRS "Empty Bond" Status)
1. Statutory Authority and Structure
The proposed stadium and entertainment district will utilize a Conduit Financing Mechanism under IRS Code Section 103 (Tax-Exempt State and Local Bonds) and Section 142 (Exempt Facility Bonds for Mass Commuting and Qualified Redevelopment).
The "Empty Bond" Definition: Hillsborough County or a designated Joint Development Authority will act as the pass-through issuer. The municipality issues tax-exempt conduit revenue bonds, but holds zero debt service obligation.
Liability Isolation: 100% of the principal and interest repayment rests solely on the private developer (Rays Ownership) and the project's generated revenues (ticket surcharges, district sales taxes, lease payments). The public's credit rating and general fund are completely insulated.
Private Capital / Rays Dev Co ---> Funds Upfront Construction (Tax-Exempt Interest Payments) v Public Conduit Issuer Authority ---> Issues "Empty" Bonds (No Public Debt Liability) (Enables Tax-Exempt Status for Infrastructure) IRS Qualified Project Area --------> Dale Mabry Entertainment & Sports District
2. Mechanics of Tax-Exempt Savings
By utilizing a public conduit issuer, the private development entity gains access to tax-exempt borrowing rates for all qualified public-use infrastructure within the 113-acre Dale Mabry campus.
Capital Expenditure Relief: Materials, engineering, and construction costs for stormwater vaults, grid integration, parking garages, and pedestrian plazas qualify for tax-exempt status.
Interest Rate Compression: Private debt interest rates are compressed by roughly 1.5% to 2.2% compared to traditional commercial paper. On a $1 billion private infrastructure pull, this saves the project an estimated $15 million to $22 million annually in debt service.
Refinancing Safeguards: The empty bond structure allows the team to refinance private debt portions under municipal tax-exempt umbrellas if macroeconomic interest rates drop, without requiring new public votes or referendum updates.
Federal Grant Application Outlines
HUD CDBG National Objective: Elimination of Slum and Blight (Area Basis) or Low/Mod Income (LMI) Benefit
Project Component: Dale Mabry Mixed-Use Housing & Neighborhood Security Corridor.
Requested Funding: $45,000,000 (Multi-year entitlement allocation and Section 108 Loan Guarantee).
Executive Summary & Project Description
This application requests HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) assistance to fund the public security, anti-displacement, and pedestrian-transit components of the Dale Mabry redevelopment. While the stadium bowl itself is privately funded, the surrounding 113-acre master plan directly impacts surrounding low-and-moderate-income (LMI) Census tracts. CDBG funds will explicitly target neighborhood stabilization and physical security infrastructure.
Key Narrative Metrics
LMI Benefit: Over 51% of the residents in the directly adjacent Census tracts fall within HUD’s low-to-moderate-income thresholds. This project creates a permanent job-training corridor tied directly to the construction and ongoing operations of the district.
Security & Infrastructure Build: Funds will deploy a modern, smart-grid public safety network, including fiber-optic street lighting, emergency blue-light towers, and a dedicated Hillsborough County Sheriff/Tampa Police joint community substation built within the retail footprint.
Anti-Displacement Housing Trust: A $15,000,000 carve-out will seed a regional Property Tax Stabilization Fund, giving direct grants to long-term legacy homeowners within a 2-mile radius to cover rising property tax valuations driven by the stadium’s economic lift.
DOT PROTECT (Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation) Grant
Project Component: Dale Mabry Intermodal Transit & Stormwater Resilience Vault.
Requested Funding: $85,000,000 (Federal cost-share at 80%).
Executive Summary & Project Description
This application seeks federal DOT PROTECT funds to rebuild the critical evacuation and transit spine of North Dale Mabry Highway. The introduction of a major sports and entertainment district requires upgrading existing transportation assets to survive extreme weather events, manage catastrophic stormwater surges, and move large masses of citizens efficiently via non-vehicular transport.
Key Narrative Metrics
Stormwater Resilience: Installation of subsurface retention vaults capable of capturing 5 million gallons of runoff per storm event, protecting both the Dale Mabry corridor and the surrounding residential street grid from chronic flooding.
Intermodal Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Hub: Construction of a dedicated, median-separated BRT lane running from Downtown Tampa directly to a new stadium transit plaza, reducing gridlock and carbon emissions during high-occupancy events.
Private-Sector Match: The application leverages the Rays' private investment as a massive non-federal local match, vaulting this project into the top tier of competitive federal rankings.
Public Officials & Residents (Focus: Taxpayer Security)
"This plan ensures that not one cent of property tax is risked. The county and city are not taking on debt. We are acting as a legal pass-through to give the project tax-exempt status, while the team takes 100% of the financial risk."
"By using federal HUD and DOT grants, we are forcing Washington D.O.T. and HUD dollars to pay for our local roads, lighting, and flood basins. We are fixing Tampa's infrastructure using federal money, sparked by a private project."
"The CDBG housing trust guarantees that local families are protected from gentrification. We are capping property tax impacts for legacy residents before construction even begins."
Pitching to Rays Ownership & Developers (Focus: Profitability & Speed)
"The IRS Empty Bond framework slashes your infrastructure borrowing costs by up to 2.2%. This injects tens of millions of dollars back into your cash-flow margins every single year of the build."
"Using federal grants for the roads, transit lanes, and massive stormwater vaults means you do not have to pay for them. The public matches your investment against federal pools, clearing your balance sheet of heavy civic infrastructure costs."
"The 99-year lease and master developer status over the 113-acre Dale Mabry campus gives you absolute control over the highly profitable ancillary real estate, while federal dollars clean up the site and stabilize the surrounding workforce."
Dear Representative Danny Alvarez,
As a Florida resident and taxpayer, I am writing to formally request that the State of Florida submit a Notice of Intent to participate in the USDA’s 2027 Summer EBT (SUN Bucks) program.
For consecutive years, Florida has chosen to leave over $250 million annually in 100% federally funded grocery benefits on the table. This decision directly impacts approximately 2.2 million eligible children across our state who face food insecurity when school lunches are unavailable.
While I understand concerns regarding administrative overhead, economic data shows that the required 50% state administrative match would cost Florida roughly $7.5 million—a microscopic fraction (0.007%) of our state’s $115+ billion budget. Furthermore, because every dollar in food benefits generates $1.54 in local economic activity, this small investment would yield a 34-to-1 return on investment, funneling over $250 million directly into Florida's agricultural supply chains, small businesses, and grocery retailers.
Our neighboring states have recognized this immense economic and humanitarian win. I urge you to prioritize Florida’s children and local economies by appropriating the matching administrative funds for the 2027 budget cycle.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Keith Varian FL-14 House Candidate
Riverview, FL
Subject: Request for Florida to Participate in the 2027 USDA SUN Bucks Program
Dear Senator Brian Nathan,
As a Florida resident and taxpayer, I am writing to formally request that the State of Florida submit a Notice of Intent to participate in the USDA’s 2027 Summer EBT (SUN Bucks) program.
For consecutive years, Florida has chosen to leave over $250 million annually in 100% federally funded grocery benefits on the table. This decision directly impacts approximately 2.2 million eligible children across our state who face food insecurity when school lunches are unavailable.
While I understand concerns regarding administrative overhead, economic data shows that the required 50% state administrative match would cost Florida roughly $7.5 million—a microscopic fraction (0.007%) of our state’s $115+ billion budget. Furthermore, because every dollar in food benefits generates $1.54 in local economic activity, this small investment would yield a 34-to-1 return on investment, funneling over $250 million directly into Florida's agricultural supply chains, small businesses, and grocery retailers.
Our neighboring states have recognized this immense economic and humanitarian win. I urge you to prioritize Florida’s children and local economies by appropriating the matching administrative funds for the 2027 budget cycle.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Keith Varian/Candidate FL-14 US House
Riverview, FL]
Proposed Legislative Amendment to Florida statute 206.41
Letter to State Representative Brian Nathan, FL. District 14
Subject: Legislative Proposal: Emergency Fuel Tax Relief for Service-Based Small Business Fleets
Date:5/14/2026
To: The Honorable Brian Nathan
701 West Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Suite 2, Tampa, FL 33603
From: Keith Varian ;Candidate FL-14 US House
12308 Adventure Dr, Riverview, Fl 33579
Dear Mr. Nathan
As a resident in your district, I am writing to propose a targeted legislative amendment to Florida Statute 206.41 aimed at protecting Florida’s service-based small businesses from catastrophic fuel price spikes.
The Proposal: The "Small Business Fuel Safety Valve"
I am formally requesting that you sponsor legislation to expand eligibility for refunds of the State Comprehensive Enhanced Transportation System (SCETS) tax and Local Option fuel taxes to include service-based small businesses with "on-road" fleets. Crucially, I propose this refund be triggered only when the average price of gasoline or diesel reaches or exceeds $6.00 per gallon.
Why This Is Necessary
Currently, "off-road" industries like agriculture and commercial fishing enjoy fuel tax refunds regardless of the economy. Meanwhile, service-based businesses—such as HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and local delivery—are excluded because our fleets operate on-road.
In the current 2026 economic climate, fuel is no longer just a "cost of doing business"; it has become an existential threat. When prices hit $6.00 per gallon, the tax burden on a service fleet forces us to either raise prices for Florida families or operate at a loss.
Key Features of the Amendment:
Emergency Trigger: Relief is not a permanent handout; it is a temporary "safety valve" activated only when fuel costs hit the $6.00/gallon threshold.
Targeted Relief: Eligibility would be restricted to Florida-based small businesses (defined by employee count or revenue) with fleets used for essential home and commercial services.
Fiscal Responsibility: By using a price trigger, the State Transportation Trust Fund remains fully funded during normal price cycles, ensuring our roads and bridges are still maintained.
The Impact on your District
By supporting this trigger-based refund, you are providing a critical lifeline to the local entrepreneurs who keep Florida’s infrastructure running. This policy prevents inflationary price hikes for consumers and ensures that small businesses aren't the only ones left without relief when global energy markets become volatile.
Fairness: Currently, golf course mowers receive tax relief while local delivery vans do not. We are asking for parity.
Inflation: Fuel taxes are a major driver of hidden inflation; a refund allows us to stabilize prices for our neighbors.
Impact: For a small fleet, these specific taxes represent thousands of dollars in monthly overhead better used for payrol
I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this "Safety Valve" model with you or your staff. Thank you for your commitment to Florida’s working small businesses.
Sincerely,
Keith Varian
Candidate FL-14 US House