ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An Orange County commissioner is asking fellow board members to take up the issue of a new sales tax, which could be a tough sell amid competing pushes to address funding shortfalls.
The half percent or one percent “public places” surtax would fund a list of conservation, recreation and infrastructure needs throughout the county. It would be modeled after a similar tax in Alachua County that was recently expanded by voters.
If passed by both commissioners and voters, the sales tax initiative would address:
- Expanding and maintaining conservation areas, green spaces and public parks.
- Improving recreational infrastructure, including trails, bicycle networks, and pedestrian pathways.
- Enhancing stormwater management and water quality initiatives to mitigate environmental degradation.
- Upgrading public facilities, such as community centers, to accommodate population growth.
- Supporting sustainable urban development and multimodal transportation options.
The proposal was pitched by Nicole Wilson (District 1), a career environmental lawyer. Her Feb. 18 memo said her support was in response to the county’s GreenPLACE Advisory Board’s request.
“Orange County’s GreenPLACE conservation land acquisition efforts face increasing demand, yet funding for this program remains limited and no sustained funding sources have been identified to meet this need,” Wilson wrote to her fellow commissioners and staff.
The Alachua County tax, she noted, divides funds evenly between conservation and infrastructure.
“Our citizens have expressed support for environmental conservation and preservation, but with limited dedicated funding, we will be challenged to sustain those efforts in the future,” Wilson wrote.
Despite the popularity of adding green spaces and upgrading infrastructure, funding has proven to be a sticky subject. Orange County recently embarked on a potential third attempt to get a transportation sales surtax in front of voters in 2026 after the initiative’s surprise failure in 2022.
If both were to advance to the ballot, the two competing initiatives could be too much for voters if inflation continues to climb. However, some in the county theorized that this initiative is being pitched as a replacement for the transportation tax, and the inclusion of green spaces in addition to transit, plus the track record of the tax elsewhere, was a way to make it more palatable to voters.
Wilson did not respond to multiple attempts to contact her before this story’s publication. It’s not clear when the discussion will take place or if other commissioners will support the proposal.
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