TAMPA, Fla. — To James Castineda, every penny matters right now.
“Obviously like most Americans in the nation, we’re all living check to check,” he said.
So, the Tampa dad will have two big decisions in front of him when he votes in November, because there will be two tax measures on the ballot in Hillsborough County.
One of them: a property tax hike to increase teacher pay which the school district and its allies say is badly needed.
The other: a renewal of the half penny sales tax called the Community Investment Tax (CIT).
The 30-year tax was approved in 1996 to help build Raymond James Stadium and fund other projects. Voters will decide if that tax should be extended for 15 more years.
“It has benefited our citizens in every single corner of this community, and what we’re looking at right now is a renewal,” said Mayor Jane Castor at a Friday news conference.
At the news conference, Castor and other community leaders said the renewed tax would be less focused on the stadium and a lot more focused on improving transportation, public safety, and infrastructure to keep up with the county’s growth.
“It is not going to pay for wants. It’s going to pay for needs,” Castor said.
Craig Brotchie, who lives in south Tampa, thinks he’ll vote for both taxes because of the return on investment they promise.
“Hey, we’re in America. It’s a great place to live, and I’m not going to begrudge paying the taxes that I have to pay to keep everything going good,” he said.
Castineda had similar thoughts, even in an economy where inflation is noticeable.
“As long as taxes are used efficiently, I think it’s … a no-brainer,” he said.
On the ballot, the referendum will read as follows:
“To provide educational excellence for student learning by ensuring competitive salaries to retain and recruit high quality teachers and staff, implementing and preserving academic programs, and distributing proportional funds pursuant to Florida law with charter schools, shall the School District of Hillsborough County levy an ad valorem operating millage of one mill annually from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2029, with annual reporting to county residents for transparency of the use of funds.”
The CIT renewal measure will read as follows:
“Shall Hillsborough County renew the existing local government infrastructure surtax, known locally as the community investment half-cent sales tax, commencing December 1, 2026, through December 31, 2041, to be shared with the municipalities and the School Board to fund infrastructure for transportation and public works, public safety, public facilities, public utilities and public schools?”
