County To Submit Plan To Spend Traffic Money

By JOHN C. COTEY john@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Hillsborough County and City of Tampa residents could finally start seeing some much-needed road and sidewalk improvements, as well as other transportation fixes, if the wishes of the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) are granted by the Florida State Legislature.

At a workshop on Jan. 25, the BOCC discussed how to spend the nearly $570 million raised from the 1-percent transportation sales tax that was approved by voters in 2018, but was eventually ruled unconstitutional by the Florida Supreme Court in 2021. Former commissioner Stacy White claimed the tax wasn’t legal because a committee, and not elected officials, were in charge of the disbursement of the funds collected.

That $569,782,845, including interest, collected from 2019-21 has been in limbo, or escrow, ever since. In July 2022, the total was remitted to the State Department of Revenue, and the state directed the county to come up with a proposal for spending the money before the 2023 legislative session begins in March.

The BOCC agreed, under the State Shared Half-Cent Sales Tax Formula, to share the money between the county and its three cities whose residents also paid the tax — Tampa (which will receive $124 million), Plant City ($12.7 million) and Temple Terrace ($8.6 million).

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor says the city will work with the county on how it hopes to spend its share of the money. District 7 City Council member Luis Viera said he expected New Tampa Blvd. to be repaved, as well having as some other intersection enhancements completed.

That leaves $424 million for the county’s plan, which includes $130

This sidewalk in Magnolia Trace has been in need of repair for at least five years, perhaps longer. (Photo: John C. Cotey) million for repaving 680 lane miles (the county has 7,400 total lane miles, enough to drive from Tampa to Seattle, WA, and back), $40 million for 300,000 linear feet of sidewalk repairs and $20 million to repair and rehabilitate some of the county’s 279 bridges.

There also is $116 million for congestion relief, $81 million for intersection projects, and $37 million for safety and mobility projects, like safer walking routes at schools.

BOCC Chairman Ken Hagan, who represents the District 2 area that includes unincorporated New Tampa, where some neighborhoods in Cross Creek and nearby Pebble Creek are in need of long-ago requested sidewalk repairs, said he would like to see the most pressing needs get addressed first. He said there are more than 2,400 open sidewalk repair requests countywide.

“I think we should prioritize projects that are, number one, shovel ready, and that can have an immediate impact and the biggest impact on improving our residents’ quality of life,” Hagan said at the workshop. “And, I can tell you from experience, the two areas that meet all that criteria, and that my office has always heard the most from our citizens about, are resurfacing and sidewalks. We hear about it on a daily basis.”

Hagan said sidewalk repairs have been on the unfunded list since 2013, “to put it into unfortunate perspective.”

The BOCC’s original plan totaled $589 million, but to get it down to $424 million, county administrator Bonnie Wise suggested roughly $100 million in cuts at the outset of the workshop, as well as removing $66 million targeted for pedestrian and bike trails, with which most of the commissioners agreed.

“That’s a luxury item, we really don’t need that,” District 3 commissioner Gwen Myers said.

Hagan said he’d like to see some money directed towards trails, particularly the Tampa Bay Trail. District 4 commissioner Michael Owen made a case for widening Lithia Pinecrest Rd. and countywide District 6 commissioner Pat Kemp would like to see funding for an operations and maintenance center for HART.

The final list to be sent to the state legislature will be voted on Feb. 15.

No one at the workshop seemed to have any idea what happens after that. The legislature could pick and choose some of the county’s requests, refund a lump sum or do something different altogether. There is no guarantee the county will receive any of the money.

“I sure would want them to take what we send them seriously and not just throw it out the window,” Comm. Owen said, “which is a possibility.”