Billions collected for infrastructure. So why isn't our infrastructure fixed?
Our infrastructure in Hillsborough County is crumbling despite county government collecting billions in tax dollars earmarked for infrastructure.
Year over year, our government approved record funding into road maintenance and repaving. So why isn't our infrastructure fixed? Well, over the last 18 years, very little of the yearly maintenance fund actually went to funding road and infrastructure repairs—most years as little as 5-10%. The county refuses to maintain our roads and fix potholes, finish connectors, or widen roads to alleviate traffic.
I'm changing that. I've required all sales tax funds that are meant for infrastructure actually be spent on our roads, not pet projects. I pushed for the removal of the phrase "Community Stadium" from the CIT to ensure the super majority of those funds go to the Van Dyke Road expansion, Lithia Pine Crest widening, and other large scale projects. And I've successfully prevented additional wasteful spending on the Hillsborough Transportation Planning Organization and re-prioritized the I-275 Northbound expansion project.
Our sidewalk complaints from residents were 16 years behind. We've shaved 6 years off that backlog.
Another thing that has really concerned me is finding out that our sidewalk complaints from residents were 16 years behind. Residents would trip and fall because of a broken sidewalk, or file a claim to repair uneven walking surfaces that went unnoticed for nearly 2 decades. I made reconciling these complaints a top priority because part of our role as county commissioners is constituent services. My staff and I followed up on these claims, even making house visits, because our residents deserve to know we care. We've shaved 6 years off our backlogged infrastructure complaints, and if elected to another term I will ensure we continue making progress.
When we spend our allocated funds for infrastructure actually on improving infrastructure, we don't have to raise taxes on our residents. When we have better maintained infrastructure, residents have shorter and safer commutes to and from work, less wear and tear on their cars, and can spend more time with their families.
Before I took office, I knew our Hillsborough County government was wasting our tax dollars, but I didn't realize to what extent. Most residents don't, because who has the time to comb through an 850-page, nearly $10 billion budget?
Learn More →Here in Hillsborough County, we pay the 3rd highest sales taxes in the state. The county maxes their property tax levy every single year. They impose 3 separate gas taxes. They increased our water bills by 4%.
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