TAMPA, Fla. (WFTS) — About $600 million is coming to Hillsborough County residents. It's money from the short-lived All for Transportation penny tax.
On Tuesday morning, lawmakers finalized the 2024/2025 State Budget, which includes the money from the All for Transportation tax.
As of now, here is the breakdown of funds:
- $256,402,280 for resurfacing the county road system or the city street system within Hillsborough County
- $161,911,105 towards suspending the local sales tax
- $170,934,853 to reimburse for legal fees and expenses, promote claiming a settlement for anyone who paid into the tax, and process the valid refund claims.
- Filing for those refunds would close by the end of the year.
The final language will be in the tax relief package HB 7073 in an amendment the Senate will take up on Thursday.
So, how did we get here?
Back in 2018, voters in Hillsborough approved the All for Transportation tax referendum.
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The intent was to collect money from a penny tax that would support transportation-related projects, hoping to ease traffic problems.
After two years, the tax was thrown out following a lawsuit.
It wasn't until 2022 that a judge ruled that more than half a billion dollars collected would go to the county, but only after state leaders decided how.
Meantime, an amended version of the tax failed the November 2022 ballot.
Despite the back and forth over the money, there's billions of dollars worth of projects waiting for funding, most of which depends on the AFT money.
Drivers are also eager to see some change once those funds are released.
"I just feel like there's just so many people here and the infrastructure isn't big enough, you know, to accommodate all the people, you know, just keep building and building and building and the infrastructure stays the same," said one driver.
"What should take maybe 20 minutes or so to get places takes, you know, 45 to an hour, some mornings," said another.
