Hillsborough County Voters Pass Transportation Surtax - What Happens Next?

More than 57 percent of Hillsborough County voters approved the imposition of a 1 percent sales tax designed to improve the County's transportation infrastructure and transit service. The tax, enacted through the gathering of signatures to propose an amendment to the County's governing document, the Hillsborough County Charter, goes into effect on January 1, 2019, and is effective for 30 years.

So what happens next?

Fifty-four percent of the tax proceeds are reserved for use by the County and its three municipalities: Tampa, Plant City, and Temple Terrace. Forty-five percent is dedicated for use by the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (“HART”), with the remainder reserved for use by the Metropolitan Planning Organization.

An oversight committee will be appointed to oversee the agencies' use of these funds. This group will include:

Four members appointed by the Board of County Commissioners, of which at least two must be experts in transportation, planning, sustainability, engineering or construction One member from each city (Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace), appointed by its mayor One additional member per city for each 200,000 residents in the city, appointed by city council Two members appointed by the HART board of directors One lawyer appointed by the Hillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court One land use or real estate expert appointed by the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser One certified public...