TAMPA, Fla. — Hillsborough County commissioners resumed discussions Wednesday on two major issues: the transportation sales tax and impact fees.

  • Hillsborough Commission to discuss transportation tax, impact fees
  • 1-cent sales tax remains in legal limbo 
  • Florida Supreme Court to decide on legality of the tax after 2 lawsuits challenging 2018 voter approval of tax
  • Hillsborough County Commission

Commissioners discussed putting a new sales tax on the November 2020 ballet if the State Supreme Court rules the current one-cent transportation sales tax is unconstitutional. 

The tax has been a contentious issue since its approval by Hillsborough County tax payers in November 2018. 

Hillsborough voters approved the measure with a 57 percent approval as a potential way to deal with the rapid growth of a county in need of new roads and new schools. 

Since the measure was approved, the county has collected more than $200 million, but can't spend it because the state's supreme court has questioned the legality of the tax. 

The issue regarding the legality of the tax started with lawsuits filed by a Hillsborough County resident and Hillsborough County Commissioner Stacy White. According to Spectrum Bay News 9's partner newspaper the Tampa Bay Times, both lawsuits claim the tax is unconstitutional and usurps power granted only to the County Commission.

It remains unclear when the court will make a decision.

Meanwhile, commissioners decided to schedule a community meeting for March 4 to discuss how to pay for constructing new schools. 

Hillsborough County school leaders have proposed to increase impact fees to pay for new schools for the first time in 14 years. 

New Superintendent Addison Davis said he'll make sure the district gets as much as it can from the state but it may be up the county to bridge the gap.

"At the end of the day we have to as a county and a community we’ve got to wrap our arms around education and know that education is the foundation of all," Davis said. "And if we’re not going to be able to get all of the money from Tallahassee we’ve got to find the money inclusively in our county because we’ve got to invest in our children."