The clock is ticking on voter feedback on the return of the $570 million in transportation referendum money. With the state legislative session quickly approaching its end, voters have a limited amount of time to weigh in on the issue and still make an impact.
A delegation from the Tampa Bay Chamber traveled to the State Capitol in Tallahassee on January 24, 2024, to advocate for the full return of $570 million in sales tax dollars meant for transportation projects in Hillsborough County. The tax money, currently sitting untouched in escrow, was voted on in 2018 by Hillsborough County voters to help fund transportation projects aimed at improving the county’s deteriorating road conditions and easing the heavy burden of traffic resulting from substantial and ongoing population growth throughout the region. In February 2021, the Florida Supreme Court ruled the tax illegal due to a technicality in the way the tax referendum was written.
The Legislature has been debating the best way to return this money to Hillsborough County over the last couple of legislative sessions. One proposed method for the state to return the money to the county was through a sales tax holiday, which the Chamber strongly opposed and eventually defeated in 2023. The Chamber strongly supports the money being returned for shovel-ready transportation projects.
The Chamber delegation, led by Senior Director of Government Relations Joshua Gabel and Chair Brian Adcock, met with legislators representing the county and surrounding areas to emphasize the need for this money to be returned to Hillsborough County for critical, shovel-ready transportation projects, of which the county already has a $13 billion backlog.
"There is no way around it — traffic in the Tampa Bay region is terrible and is only being exacerbated as more people move to the area. While our region offers tremendous opportunities for growth, failing to address our transportation needs will put us at an economic competitive disadvantage compared to other cities in Florida and across the nation," said Chair Brian Adcock.
During meetings with our legislators, it became clear that they see the need for this money to be returned to Hillsborough County and that they have a desire to do so this session. Each legislator stressed the importance of ensuring that the entire community’s voice was heard, which is why our Chamber has implemented a “full-court press” strategy, including a letter-writing campaign, op-eds, billboards, television and radio interviews, and a social media campaign, to educate and involve the public.
The best way for your voice to be heard is through our letter-writing campaign to our legislators, asking them to return the dollars back to Hillsborough County, which can easily be done here: https://www.tampabaychamber.com/advocacy/
The next few days are critical in this process before the Legislature heads to committee. We ask you to take a minute to join our campaign and send a message to Tallahassee.
