Hillsborough Transportation Tax Funds: Roads Get Less Than Half the Share

Hillsborough County Gets Less Than Expected for Roads and Transit in State Budge

Hillsborough Transportation Tax Funds Cut in Half

According to Tampa Bay Times, Hillsborough County faces a bit of a letdown as the state budget proposal revealed on Tuesday allocates less than half of the money collected from the transportation sales tax that got canceled. The cash gathered since 2019, has been sitting around since 2021 when the Florida Supreme Court said no to the tax. Even as the county’s population grows traffic jams continue, and public buses stay limited. Out of the $589 million collected, only $256 million is planned for fixing roads, $171 million goes to cover legal stuff from the lawsuit and $162 million will help people avoid some sales taxes temporarily.

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Hillsborough Transportation Tax Funds: Roads Get Less Than Half the Share. (PHOTO: Tampa Bay Times)

Leaders Express Frustration as State Slashes Hillsborough Transportation Tax Funds

Local leaders aren’t too happy about this. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor who used to be a big supporter of the tax, didn’t say anything about the new plan. Hillsborough Commissioner Pat Kemp is disappointed saying they need a lot more for transportation projects. The state’s decision comes after the Florida Supreme Court said the 1% tax increase approved by more than half of the county’s voters in 2018 was not okay in 2021. The court thought it wasn’t right to say exactly how the money should be used. Even though it’s a setback, the state’s budget plan gives less than expected for important transportation work, raising worries about how to deal with the county’s growing transportation needs.

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