ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A newly formed group of residents will soon be helping Orange County leaders make key decisions on transportation.
The Transportation Mobility Advisory Commission (TransMAC) will meet for the first time Thursday evening at the Orange County Administration Center.
The group, which is made up of seven appointed citizens, will make recommendations focused on proposed expenditures for transportation purposes. TransMAC will also discuss mobility innovation and review past transportation expenditures.
“They won’t have final decision making, but they’ll be advising the board on transportation decisions,” Deputy Director of Public Works Brett Blackadar said. “I think it puts that level of importance and it gets the commission to independently review it.”
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In November, voters approved an amendment to the Orange County Charter to create TransMAC.
“I think this puts a focus on transportation by appointing someone, each member of the board can appoint one person,” Blackadar said. “One of their main duties is to review the budget every year for transportation.”
Last year, Orange County commissioners suspended a transportation sales tax initiative after determining there wouldn’t be enough support among voters. A similar measure failed to pass in 2022.
“We are expected to grow another 500,000 residents by 2050,” Blackadar said. “As we grow, it’s hard to keep up with the transportation demands that we have on the system.”
While it’s not specified in the amendment, TransMAC could also make recommendations on pursuing another attempt at a transportation tax.
“Part of the discussion in this group could be to advocate for transportation funding in the future if there needed to be another funding initiative,” Blackadar said.
The first meeting for TransMAC is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m.
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