Gas prices in North Central Florida are already higher than Jacksonville, Pensacola, and Orlando.

And one website reports they are higher in Gainesville than neighboring Ocala.

And now that gap will only grow larger.

At the start of next year, the price for a gallon of gas in Alachua county will increase by a nickel...

"Right now we can barely afford gas, getting back and forth, getting back to work", says Silas Alexander.

And it's only going to become more expensive for Silas Alexander and his co-worker Donny Gillard - who often stop for gas at the Sprint Kangaroo store in Micanopy....

On Tuesday, Alachua County commissioners approved a five-cent-per-gallon gas tax increase to pay for road improvements around the county...

The tax will go into effect on January 1st, and county officials say construction crews will begin work on the five worst roads shortly afterwards...

The six citizens who spoke at Tuesday's public hearing were all in favor of the tax, and while Gillard agrees with them, Alexander doesn't....

Gillard says, "In a way, I think it's a good thing to improve roads, but I think they should take it and put it on another tax. Tax something different instead of gas because gas is already high."

"I can't afford to spending almost 4 dollars for a gallon of gas, and that's what it's going to be", says Alexander.

County officials say the gas tax is especially a good idea after state lawmakers recently approved property tax cuts that will reduce the county's annual budget by 11 million dollars...

Alachua County Spokesperson, Mark Sexton says, "this commission has said they want to diversify revenue, so everything isn't so dependent on property taxes."

But Gillard says the tax may cause some people who stop at his favorite gas station to drive the few extra miles into Marion County, where gas is already about 10 cents cheaper...

"If you work out this way, it probably would be cheaper to ride to Ocala and get filled up, and come on back. If you live way into town, like he said, it'd be out of the way", says Gillard.

In all, the tax is estimated to bring in about 5.5 million dollars a year, with the county getting about 3 million of that...

County officials say they will also use their share of the money to pave some limerock roads in rural parts of the community...