TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The long-running fight over Hillsborough County’s transportation surtax continued on Election Day with the measure appearing on the ballot for voters despite ongoing legal challenges. On Election Night, the referendum failed, according to preliminary votes reported by the county supervisor of elections.
While supported by county commissioners and even Tampa’s mayor, the transportation tax has yet to fully win its fight in court, putting the funds collected to pay for it in limbo.
The referendum itself failed to gain enough steam on the ballot. 51% of Hillsborough voters chose “No” on the surtax.
Advocacy group All for Transportation, which had been in strong support of the transport tax, released a statement saying in part that while next steps were unclear, they remained committed to making a “safe, reliable, and equitable” transportation system in Hillsborough County.
For now, legal challenges in court over the tax and what to do with funding already collected since its passage in years past persist, with millions of dollars currently left untouchable.
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