ORLANDO, Fla. — Orange County leaders are once again attempting to get community support for a sales tax to fund transportation improvements throughout the county.
County leaders revealed that, in a 2019 survey, residents expressed concerns about traffic congestion and overall transportation.
The county is looking to fix those problems, but they don’t have the money to do so, and funding for these projects could ultimately be decided by residents.
“This is all about the political wheel of the board to advance it to the ballot for referendum,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings. “The board won’t decide to tax the people, it’s the people that will make the decision, so this is the part of the process we’re having.”
Resident Jeff Dorian moved to Orlando three and a half years ago. He says he quickly became familiar with the county’s 1% transportation sales tax in 2022. That referendum did not pass with about 58% of residents voting no.
Dorian, though, was in favor of the proposal.
“I was for it. I grew up in Miami,” he said. “The traffic there is horrendous, and the way Orlando is growing is the how Miami grew in the 70s and 80s and they were always behind in transportation issues.”
Dorian lives in downtown Orlando and says he uses all forms of transit to get around, from cars, public buses and even walking.
He says there’s a glaring solution to Orange County’s traffic concerns.
“Really, what we’re promoting is more mass transit,” said Dorian. “Building more highways is not the answer. That’s what I saw in Miami. As soon as they build a highway, the next day, it’ll be on the news that the traffic was backed up. So that’s not the solution. The solution is to get people off the roads.”
The Orange County Board of commissioners have not yet decided the conditions of the sales tax.
In Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners expressed concerns of the previous failed referendum. District 3 Fommissioner Mayra Uribe says something has to be done differently this time around before she can fully support these efforts.
The county is currently hosting community meetings to gather information from residents.
County staff say some residents have mentioned a half-penny tax increase. Other concerns include how long the county plans to collect the funds.
“I think it’s going to be a tough battle,” said Dorian. “It’s a do over, they’re going to do things a little differently, but I think residents all see how fast Orlando is growing and we’re getting overwhelmed by people moving here.”
County leaders say they plan to use the funds for roadways, predestination safety, transit and other projects.
If the county comes to a consensus, the referendum could reach the November ballot and revenue would be collected in 2025.
The county is scheduled to host a public hearing on April 23.