Roads, sidewalks and bike boxes won’t be enhanced in Alachua County’s near future, as voters rejected a 1-cent sales surtax Tuesday that would have addressed transportation issues.
Moving Alachua County Forward, one of the questions on this year’s ballot, would’ve raised about $30 million per year and more than $240 million over its full eight years but was rejected by about 60 percent of Alachua County voters. According to Alachua County’s Supervisor of Elections’ website, nearly 40 percent of voters — tallied at 30,555 — were in favor of the measure.
Voters were also in favor of an advisory referendum asking Alachua County residents whether they approved of regulating and limiting campaign contributions from entities like corporations and labor unions. About 72 percent of voters approved the non-binding question, which did not directly change any laws.
About 80 percent of the funds from the proposed transportation tax would have been spent on road repair and maintenance, while the remaining 20 percent for bicycle, pedestrian and bus service enhancement projects.
“That’s where it stands,” said Jeff Hays, the Alachua County transportation planning manager. “People weren’t willing to tax themselves with an extra penny.”
While the majority of county voters rejected the measure, UF’s on-campus polling locations reflected different results. Nearly 60 percent of voters at the Reitz Union approved of the surtax, as did more than 56 percent at the Phillips Center for Performing Arts and more than 53 percent at the Florida Museum of Natural History.
Roads that would have been improved included Depot Avenue — from Southeast Seventh Avenue to Williston Road — and Northwest 62nd Boulevard — from Newberry Road to Southwst 20th Avenue, which would’ve been resurfaced and potentially reconstructed, Hays said.
“A lot of the roadways that we need significant maintenance on and that are falling behind on the level of maintenance are sometimes not the most heavily traveled areas,” Hays said. “People don’t see them as often so it might not be as at the forefront of their minds.”
Transit hours and services would have also been extended, he said, along with upgrading older buses.
“Some people didn’t want to raise taxes at all to cover these things and thought it should be covered under the existing budget,” he said.
Marlie Sanderson, the assistant executive director for the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council, wrote in an email that he wanted the sales surtax to pass.
“Road maintenance resurfacing projects are expected to get more expensive over time,” he said. “Also, there will be fewer funds available in the future for bicycle, pedestrian and transit projects.”
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 11/6/2014]
