HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A new office opened in Ybor and the goal is to get your community talking about safe transportation in Hillsborough County.
The All for Transportation office is asking people to vote "yes" this November for a one percent sales tax increase.
One man who rides his bike in Hillsborough County went to the office opening to support the tax increase. He said as a biker, he has safety concerns when on the road.
"Regular people don’t want to ride their bike down Florida Avenue two feet away from cars that are going 60 miles per hour," Nathan Hagen said.
Hagen's other option is public transportation, which he said really isn't an option most of the time. "Our transportation system is so broken," Hagen added.
Raising the sales tax in Hillsborough County from 7.5 to 8.5 percent would allow transportation officials to have the funds to make roads safer by adding bike lanes, lights and paving roads.
Just over 54 percent goes to the county and municipalities. That includes Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City.
Then 45 percent goes to HART, which is public transportation. The remaining .5 percent goes to an oversight committee.
"Every single community in Hillsborough County will benefit from this transportation plan," Christina Barker, who is advocating for the tax increase said.
Not everyone wants a higher tax. We’ve heard people speaking at commission meetings against paying more in taxes.
There have also been protests against the tax increase.
People who are advocating for the tax hike said this is necessary for safer roads.
"The money is split into separate priorities for the community. Safety, transportation, maintenance, making sure we have sidewalks and crosswalks near schools," Barker added.
Something very similar was passed in 2018. Around half a billion tax dollars were collected. That referendum was ruled unconstitutional because voters decided how the money was spent.
Supporters explain this time is different because Hillsborough County Commissioners made the decision to put it on the November ballot.
"The Florida Supreme Court said citizens can’t tell the county commission how to spend the money. So the county commission heard voters loud and clear and added the same plan back to the ballot in 2022," Barker explained.
Barker said this money can construct bike paths, crosswalks and fix any roads that need to be repaved.
The one percent tax increase will be on the November ballot for you to vote on.