Florida Supreme Court Voids County Tax That Included Transit Funding

Officials in Hillsborough County, Florida, which includes Tampa, must decide how to redistribute revenue gained through a voter-approved sales tax, which was voided by the state’s Supreme Court in 2021. As C.T. Bowen explains in the Tampa Bay Times, “Voters approved the tax referendum by 57% to 43% in November 2018. Under that plan, 45% of the tax money was earmarked for transit.” The recent court decision agreed with a suit challenging the legality of the tax, claiming that allocations should be set by elected officials rather than by ballot. 

Governor Ron DeSantis has some ideas. In his proposed budget, the governor suggests first returning the tax to people who paid it. “The Department of Revenue would transfer whatever remains on April 1, 2024, to the state Department of Transportation, which then would detail a project list by June 1.” DeSantis made clear that any remaining funds should be used for road and bridge projects, but not public transit. Florida cities will have to scale back their plans for transit projects, including Tampa’s TECO Streetcar line.