Council Expected to Approve 6-Cent Gas Tax Extension

Update (March 20):

The Temple Terrace City Council unanimously approved the agreement between the city and Hillsborough County regarding the levy and distribution of the six-cent gas tax at their meeting March 19.

Earlier:

At its March 5 meeting, the Temple Terrace City Council unanimously endorsed the continuation of Hillsborough County’s six-cent gas tax, which is set to expire Aug. 31.

At their meeting Tuesday, March 19, council members are scheduled to formally vote on an agreement between the city and the county regarding the levy and distribution of the tax.

The county began the tax in 1985, and Temple Terrace joined in in 1997, said Diane Reichard, the city’s finance director, March 5.

“For the City of Temple Terrace, it translates to about $735,000 per year, assisting us in our streets projects and the like,” said City Manager Kim Leinbach.

“We use it for street improvements, for paving, for sidewalks, for drainage-related accessories with any street work that we do,” he added. “So, it’s heavily used.”

The county also uses the six-cent gas tax to pay for road maintenance projects and transportation operations. Without the revenue stream, the county’s anticipated $3.2 million budget deficit would likely grow to about $25.2 million, Tom Fesler, the county’s budget director, told Patch in February.

Let Patch save you time. Get great local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone everyday with our free newsletter. Simple, fast, sign-up here.

In order for the tax to be extended, Hillsborough’s cities—Temple Terrace, Tampa and Plant City—have to approve it. From there, a new gas-tax ordinance would go before the Hillsborough County Commission and public hearings would take place.

Temple Terrace City Attorney Mark Connolly referenced a draft of the agreement between the city and the county when speaking to the council March 5. The draft stated that if commissioners ultimately decide to extend the gas tax, the extension would last from Sept. 1, 2013 to Dec. 31, 2042.

“So the proposed extension is not just for a few years,” Connolly said.

The March 19 meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall. It will be televised live on Verizon Channel 39 and Bright House Channel 950 and rebroadcast on Mondays and Thursdays at 7 p.m. and Wednesdays and Fridays at 2 p.m.

The council is also scheduled to meet March 19 at 5 p.m. at City Hall for a workshop regarding the city’s public safety radio system.

For more information on the topics the council is scheduled to discuss March 19, read the entire meeting agenda here and read the entire workshop agenda here.

See also:

• Hillsborough’s 6-Cent Gas Tax Ends in August