Alachua County residents wishing to oversee improvements to county roads should apply to be a part of the Moving Alachua County Forward Citizen Oversight Committee by Wednesday.
The 11-member committee, consisting of seven voting and four alternate members, will oversee the Moving Alachua County Forward referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot, which calls for a 1-percent transportation sales surtax that will span over eight years.
It aims to improve the quality of the transportation system in Alachua County.
Applications for the City of Gainesville Commission appointees are due Tuesday and applications for the County Commission appointees are due Wednesday.
The tax would fund projects such as resurfacing roads, adding new turning lanes and paving new roads in order to alleviate traffic congestion, according to the Moving Forward website.
Some of the suggested road improvements include Tower Road, Northwest 43rd Street and Southwest 62nd Boulevard.
County residents making the median household income can expect a tax increase of about $109 annually to account for the 1-percent surtax, according to the project website.
“I would pay a 2-percent sales tax in order to have Southwest 62nd Boulevard expanded and resurfaced,” said PJ Russell, a 23-year-old UF alumnus. “The amount of traffic on that road is always ridiculous because it leads to the only mall in Gainesville.”
After being appointed by the County Commission, Alachua County League of Cities and the Board of Directors of the Gainesville Chamber of Commerce, committee members will be responsible for overseeing the sales tax revenue and ensuring it is spent appropriately.
A committee member just has to be an Alachua County resident, said advisory board coordinator Jeremy Clements.
Applications are on the Board of County Commissioners’ website.
