It\u2019s clear Orange County has a tangled transportation network. It\u2019s also clear the community is not wild about a higher sales tax.<\/p>\n
County voters, after all, defeated a proposed one-percent sales tax hike in 2022 that would have raised money for transportation projects.<\/p>\n
But Commissioner Nicole Wilson now thinks the board should consider putting a different kind of sales tax on the ballot. Some funds would be used for land acquisition and conservation \u2014 issues that county voters have generally supported \u2014 and some would be set aside for infrastructure. Infrastructure would include transportation-related projects.<\/p>\n
Commissioners have not decided whether to put a measure on the ballot or how large it would be, if they do proceed. They\u2019ve kicked around two possibilities: a penny-per-dollar sales tax increase and a half-cent-per-dollar hike. The board must decide by May 7 if it wants to proceed, so there is time for state authorities to study the proposal before it appears on the November ballot.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis initiative aims to enhance public parks, conservation areas and essential infrastructure while ensuring long-term ecological sustainability and community resilience,\u201d the two-term commissioner said in a memo to Mayor Jerry Demings and fellow board members.<\/p>\n
Commissioners on Monday took public comment, listened to county staff and discussed Wilson\u2019s proposal.<\/p>\n
Wearing a red Make America Great Again ballcap, Winter Garden resident Gregg Jones said he opposes any tax increase.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe spend, spend, spend, and tax, tax, tax,\u201d said Jones, reminding county officials of the transportation tax\u2019s stinging defeat.<\/p>\n
But Wilson, whose west Orange district includes Disney and the fast-growing development Horizon West, said she hoped to pattern the issue after Alachua County\u2019s successful Wild Places and Public Spaces referendum.<\/p>\n
Alachua voters bumped their sales tax from half-a-penny to a penny-per-taxable-dollar levy, which can pay for a variety of things, including parks and infrastructure.<\/p>\n
\u201cA dedicated infrastructure surtax would provide an opportunity for Orange County to secure a sustainable funding source for conservation and public infrastructure without overburdening property owners,\u201d Wilson said in the missive that led to a board discussion.<\/p>\n