Currently the sales tax rate in Tampa and Hillsborough County is 7.5%. .The state has a 6% sales tax. The County adds an additional 1.5%. A half cent is standing, a half cent for the Community Investment Tax (CIT) and there’s another half cent that is set to expire in 2028 that was approved in 2019.

The CIT was something cooked up 28 years ago primarily to pay for Raymond James Stadium. However as the County lays out a lot more has been paid for with that half cent sales tax. According to their chart, the city of Tampa has received $393 million so far from the half cent tax. FY24 the expected revenue from the CIT was $49 million. Compared to $33 million in 2017-2018.

In practical terms, approving the CIT means nothing changes. Your $.99 drink is still going to cost $1.06. And guess what. If the CIT isn’t approved your $.99 drink is still going to cost $1.06. But what will change is the roads or sidewalk you take to get that drink will go unmaintained. The parks won’t get fixed up. The longer things become neglected the more expensive it is to fix or replace. .

We might as well maintain a sales tax that everyone that comes into town and buys things contributes to. Making sure our elected officials are fiscally responsible with that money is up to us. [Edit—I purposely left out any discussion of how the Hillsborough County School System factored into this discussion. The proposed new CIT cuts support for Hillsborough County Schools from 20% to 5%. However recent events at Hillsborough County Commission blocking the school board’s effort to increase teacher pay by increasing property taxes one millage point has changed my personal opinion on the CIT. I cannot support a cut to schools in favor of more spending on sprawl at the County level. I would rather a property tax increase and maybe less 4×4 trucks for TPD.]

Also worth noting that the proposed extension to the CIT is for only 15 years. Which I think is notable when discussions about bonding, guaranteed long term revenue sources and rates are involved.