While no new money is rolling into the environmentally focused Wild Spaces & Public Places program since its sales surtax ended in December, the remaining funds will still support various projects this year.
The Wild Spaces & Public Places program, approved by voters in 2008, was funded by a half-cent sales surtax that ended its two-year run on Dec. 31, dropping the county sales tax rate from 6.75 percent to 6.25 percent.
It was created to complete several city and county projects, including park improvements and land conservation efforts in the Gainesville area.
“I think most of us really didn’t miss that half-penny. I would love to see citizens say, ‘Yes, I think we should continue something like that.’ But I don’t think that’ll happen probably until 2012,” said Jack Hughes, executive director of the local nonprofit Gainesville Sports Commission.
Alachua County received about 51.75 percent of the surtax revenue, while the City of Gainesville received about 40.39 percent.
The remaining funds were split among the county’s eight other cities, according to a June 2010 WSPP progress report.
During the planning stages of the program, the city created a prioritized list of 23 projects it wanted to fund through the sales tax.
When revenues fell below their original estimates, city officials decided to complete the top priorities for each project rather than attempt to finish one full project at a time.
The city government has already started to build a senior recreation center at Northside Park in cooperation with Alachua County.
It should be completed by the fall, said Steven Phillips, director of the City of Gainesville Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs.
The city also built a skate park at Possum Creek Park, in addition to other projects.
“We [had] the seniors, who wouldn’t probably be using a skate park, and gave them a recreation center,” Phillips said. “I think the city was very wise to make sure that everyone who put a vote in there had something to show for it.”
