This tax is used to fund public safety and transportation infrastructure only, not recurring costs or salaries.
Post Date:12/17/2018 2:54 PM
OCALA, Fla. (Dec. 17, 2018) – In an effort to make the community aware of City of Ocala initiatives funded by the Marion County penny sales tax, residents and visitors will begin noticing new road signage and vehicle decals throughout the city limits to identify such projects and purchases. The City is using its portion of the one-percent sales tax dollars to maintain the high standards our citizens have come to expect for safe roads, a safe community and more.
Public Safety
In order to increase the presence of public safety personnel in residential neighborhoods and decrease response times during emergencies, two new Ocala Fire Rescue fire stations and a police district office have been constructed for a total of approximately $5,196,242.88.
Fire Station No. 7, located at 885 SE 31st St., was completed in June 2018. The First Responder Campus, located at 340 NE Eighth Ave., is expected to be completed in January 2019. This campus includes Fire Station No. 1, which will be relocated from Tuscawilla Park, and a new East District Office for the Ocala Police Department.
Additionally, with the help of the penny sales tax, the Ocala Police Department has been able to purchase 43 new vehicles and approximately 1,200 pieces of new communication equipment including portable radios, microphones, battery chargers and more.
Road Infrastructure
Residents and visitors can continue to expect to travel on safe and attractive roadways as a result of the penny sales tax, which funded the City Road Improvement Program. Such projects include the Eighth Avenue Road Diet project, intersection improvements at Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard from State Road 40 to State Road 27, improvements along SW 34th Avenue from SW 32nd Avenue to State Road 200, and more.
A full list of current and future projects and purchases can be found at www.ocalafl.org/penny.
“The penny sales tax has helped to avoid increasing property taxes by sharing these necessary safety and road infrastructure expenses among all users of those services including city residents, businesses and other consumers who visit our community,” said John Zobler, City Manager.
The penny sales tax was approved by Marion County voters in 2016 and will sunset in 2020. This tax is used to fund public safety and transportation infrastructure only, not recurring costs or salaries.
For more information, please visit www.ocalafl.org/penny or contact the City of Ocala at 352-629-2489.
