Kanapaha Middle School is hosting a meeting Thursday at 6 p.m. for Alachua County residents to discuss the proposed sales tax increase to improve road conditions.
The Alachua County Commission’s proposal would bump the existing sales tax from 6.5 to 6.75 percent.
“Pavement deterioration is a slow, progressive problem; it’s not something you see right away, but if you don’t address it right away, it gets much more expensive,” said David Cerlanek, an engineer with Alachua County Public Works.
He added that the road improvements are more difficult to address with the county’s current funding allocations.
“From our perspective in the county, there are no additional resources available at the local level,” he said.
Cerlanek also said current allocations aren’t enough to fix the problem and that there are no other options on the table.
The commissioners estimate the tax to generate an additional $3 to $5 per month for each shopper.
Voters can decide on the tax during the upcoming general election in November.
George Pappas edited this story online
