HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Hillsborough County's one-cent transportation tax will stay, a circuit judge ruled Monday.

  • One-cent transportation tax is legal, judge rules
  • Judge chose to modify parts on amendment regarding allocations
  • As of June 2019, roughly $62 million has been collected

Judge Rex Barbas ruled that the tax is legal but chose to modify parts of the amendment regarding spending allocations.

"We don't agree with the judge’s decision, but we respect it," said Tyler Hudson, chair of All for Transportation, the group that helped put the tax on the November ballot.

All for Transportation plans to ask the Hillsborough County Commission to reinstate the provisions.

"The percentage taken was obviously changed but we are very confident that the county commission knows that people want more public transit options, and we need to move away from having a solely car-centric community," Hudson said.

The decision was in response to a lawsuit filed by Hillsborough County Commissioner Stacy White. He argued that the tax as it was written took away the county's authority.

As of June 2019, roughly $62 million has been collected for new roads, improvements, and transit options.