Hillsborough looks for ways to finance light rail

Hillsborough County is requesting public records from several local government agencies to search for ways to finance light rail and other transportation projects without a tax increase.

Commission Chairman All Higginbotham initiated the massive record-gathering and got his fellow commissioners to approve it Wednesday.

The county is asking for any data collected by the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority, the county bus transit agency, and other agencies in preparation for a Nov. 2 referendum on a 1-cent-per-dollar sales tax for mass transit. Voters overwhelmingly rejected the tax.

"I want to see where there are funding sources, either a combination of or a new method, that would not increase taxes," he said after the meeting.

Higginbotham led the charge against the tax, but surprised public transportation advocates two weeks ago by saying he wanted to find a way to pay for a light rail segment without a tax.

He said Wednesday he heard a number of residents during the lead-up to the referendum say they favored mass transit if it could be built with existing revenues.

Other commissioners, while welcoming Higginbotham's seemingly new enthusiasm for mass transit, warned against spending money and time gathering data that had already been collected by HART and other agencies leading up to the referendum.

"We need to be careful we're not engaging in unnecessary work, duplicative work, by hiring consultants for work that's already been done," said Commissioner Kevin Beckner.

Higginbotham stressed he is not interested in a new tax, or even extending the Community Investment Tax, a half penny approved by voters in 1996 that has financed water, sewer and drainage projects, as well as construction of Raymond James Stadium.

He would, however, consider special taxing districts such as community redevelopment areas that Tampa used to revitalize Ybor City and the Channel District. In those special districts, portions of property tax collections are used for redevelopment.

The taxing districts would prevent residents in Lutz or Brandon from having to pay for a light rail system from north Tampa though downtown to Tampa International Airport, the route suggested if the referendum had passed.

In other business, commissioners postponed a discussion about the Public Transportation Commission, an agency that regulates taxis, wreckers, limousines and ambulances. Commissioner Mark Sharpe had scheduled the discussion to review the board's opposition earlier this month to a bill filed by state Sen. Ronda Storms that would abolish PTC, but Storms substantially amended her bill Tuesday.