On November 8, 2022, Alachua County voters approved “Wild Spaces & Public Places (WSPP),” a one-half percent sales surtax to be collected in the county from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2032. The tax revenue will be used to acquire and improve lands for conservation, wildlife habitat, water quality, and recreation, and to operate and maintain parks and recreational facilities. An inter-local agreement between Alachua County and the City of Gainesville establishes that 35.45% of the sales surtax proceeds be distributed from the County to the City of Gainesville. The ballot language calls for citizen oversight and independent audit. This is the third round of Wild Spaces & Public Places in Alachua County with previous iterations spanning from 2009-2010 and from 2017-2022.
The City of Gainesville’s portion of the revenue collected during fiscal year 2024 was $11,259,697. The Florida Department of Revenue's Office of Tax Research’s projection for revenue collected during the 10 year span of the program is $90,713,870.
Distribution of the Wild Spaces & Public Places Sales Tax Dollars
Did you know the State of Florida disperses the Wild Spaces & Public Places sales tax revenue to Alachua County and the eight incorporated municipalities within the county based on population?
- Alachua County receives 56.98%, the largest portion of the tax collected. Of that revenue, 80% goes toward conservation lands and 20% goes toward active parks.
- The City of Gainesville receives 35.45%, and is focusing efforts on improvements and renovations to existing parks and facilities, with a few signature projects.
- The remaining 7.57% goes to the smaller municipalities in Alachua County: Alachua, Archer, Hawthorne, High Springs, LaCrosse, Micanopy and Waldo.