Hillsborough OKs $700,000 education campaign for transportation tax

TAMPA — A community schooling campaign in advance of Hillsborough County’s November transportation revenue tax referendum is sparking some jousting in a different marketing campaign.

Hillsborough County Commission applicant Josh Wostal, a Republican, just lately turned to Twitter to criticize fee chairperson Kimberly Overman in excess of the approximately $700,000 expenditure approved by commissioners Wednesday.

“It is surreal that my opponent is trying to use $700,000 of YOUR taxes to shell out for propaganda to produce a playbook to ‘educate’ YOU to tax On your own more cash mainly because ‘she needs additional,’“ Wostal tweeted last week. “The stage of ridicule they have for your family members device in Hillsborough is maniacal at ideal.”

Wostal is just one of two Republicans running for the countywide District 7 seat held by Overman, a Democrat, who is trying to get reelection. Wostal and Chase Harrison are slated to encounter off in the Aug. 23 GOP main.

Overman brushed off the critique from Wostal.

“We’re looking for a way to make certain folks fully grasp what we shell out the revenue on. It is critically vital that we commit in our infrastructure,” she informed the Tampa Bay Instances. “His comment is a very clear sign that he has no comprehending how governments operate.”

The $699,958 function order calls for engineering business HNTB Corp. to deliver “support for transportation neighborhood engagement efforts” prior to the Nov. 8 referendum on a proposed 1% revenue tax for transportation.

The work will include things like keeping community meetings, developing and distributing printed product, answering inquiries from news media and the public and making ready community displays and articles for social media and the world-wide-web. The company also will coordinate with the towns of Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City, the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority and the Hillsborough Transportation Arranging Group on the public information campaign.

The commission permitted the work order by a 5-1 margin. Commissioner Stacy White dissented, and Commissioner Ken Hagan was out of the space for the vote.

Overman observed previously the HNTB deal is just about 50 % of the $1.35 million the county used to gauge public curiosity in a transportation revenue tax proposal 6 many years back. The exertion, dubbed Go Hillsborough, never built it to voters just after a then-fee vast majority declined to place the tax dilemma on the November 2016 ballot.

The new community instruction campaign is not without its critics.

“Wouldn’t it be far better to expend that $700,000 to correct our streets?” asked Catherine Starnes of Plant Metropolis throughout public comment.

If voters approve it, the tax is projected to raise $342 million in its to start with comprehensive yr. It phone calls for 45% of the proceeds to be earmarked for the transit authority. The county and the metropolitan areas of Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant Metropolis would divide 54.5% based on their populations, and .5% would be set aside for the Hillsborough Transportation Setting up Group.