Judge Dismisses Commissioner's Lawsuit Against Transportation Tax

TAMPA, FL -- Hillsborough County transportation tax proponents are claiming victory after a judge dismissed Hillsborough County Commissioner Stacy White’s lawsuit claiming the tax is unconstitutional.

Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Rex Barbas made the ruling on Thursday.

The 1-cent sales tax for transportation improvements was approved by a 57 percent majority of Hillsborough County voters in the Nov. 6 election.

Following the vote, White filed a lawsuit in which he maintained that the tax violates state law.

The amendment to change the Hillsborough County Charter to allow a 1-cent sales tax to go toward transportation improvements was forwarded by a grassroots group called All for Transportation.

The group launched a major publicity campaign aimed at convincing voters of the need for additional revenue to fix crumbling roads, make safety improvements and provide transit alternatives, all with the objective of alleviating traffic congestion in the county.

“It has been 128 days since Hillsborough County voters overwhelmingly demanded more funding to fix a transportation crisis that grows worse each day,” said All for Transportation chairman Tyler Hudson. “We expect our county and city leaders to continue taking actions toward the full implementation of the All for Transportation plan. We will keep fighting any attempts to obstruct the will of the voters and further attempts to delay progress.”

The 30-year transportation measure will add a penny on the dollar to the sales tax and raise about $276 million per year.

The dismissal of the lawsuit paves the way for the county, HARTline and the cities of Temple Terrace, Tampa and Plant City to begin selecting projects to be funded with the tax.

There's no word yet from White on the judge's dismissal of his suit.

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