The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) unanimously finalized Tuesday its new budget and millage rate for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, 2024.  

The millage rate, approved at 7.6180 mills, follows the proposed millage passed earlier this summer and passed on first reading at the previous BOCC meeting. The new rate is a drop from the current 7.6414 millage rate but remains 6.78% higher than the rollback rate. 

This rollback rate uses a formula required by the state to show whether Alachua County will still generate more revenue despite lowering the rate. For the upcoming fiscal year, Alachua County is expected to generate $15 million more in property taxes, $212 million total, because the millage rate is higher than the rollback rate.  

The BOCC also unanimously passed its budget for the coming year, including a $321.5 million general fund.  

Also on Tuesday, the county commission directed staff to move forward with West End Golf Course plans and approved a change in its development code aimed at hotels and motels in certain areas.

The BOCC voted on a multi-part motion to set aside $500,000 for West End capital improvements, designate the site as a community park (opening up another $400,000 in funding) and update the capital improvement plan to account for the purchase and development of West End.  

Alachua County’s master parks plan called for a neighborhood park around the Tioga/Jonesville area. By making West End a larger community park instead, the BOCC can use funds intended for another community park that will now be a neighborhood park.  

The county’s updated capital improvement plan will shift $6 million from the Diamond Sportsplex project to the West End project. The county will hire planners to design the West End park, incorporating community feedback.  

A 9-hole golf course was at the top of a community survey. Jason Maurer, parks and open space director, said staff think a golf course would be too costly, but staff plan to include a driving range, ranked third on the survey. 

The other top requests included walking trails, pétanque facilities, a playground with a section for older kids, pickleball courts and a splash pad. 

The preliminary plans and designs will be shared with the community in early 2025 for more input before moving forward.  

Commissioner Anna Prizzia asked that staff begin conversations with the Florida Department of Transportation about pedestrian crosswalks and safe roads in front of West End. State Road 26/ Newberry Road runs in front of West End with Town of Tioga on the other side with shops, restaurants and homes.   

Commissioner Ken Cornell also asked that staff perform a tree study on the entire property, mentioning the possibility of an arboretum on the site. 

The BOCC also approved a change to the Unified Land Development Code that would allow hotels and motels within the business highway zoning district and inside designated activity centers to redevelop for multifamily housing.  

The proposed change currently applies to seven properties at the intersection of NW 39^th Avenue and I-75, Archer Road and I-75 and Newberry Road and I-75. The change would also require the site to be connected to central sewer and require 40% of the units be listed for affordable housing at 80% of the area median income.  

The change was brought to Alachua County by a developer looking at turning a motel site into multifamily housing. However, the owners ran into issues remodeling the existing building to suit multifamily units.  

If the current code allowed the redevelopment of the site, then a new multifamily building could be built.  

The BOCC approved the change unanimously.