On the recent Charlotte Regional Business Alliance® Exploring Economies trip to Tampa, transportation infrastructure was a key focus throughout the visit. On the last day in Tampa, attendees heard from leaders in the region who have spearheaded efforts to increase investments in critical transportation infrastructure in Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located.
(You can watch the transportation conversation in Tampa here.)
Christina Barker and Tyler Hudson co-founded All for Transportation (AFT), the Hillsborough County citizen-led effort to fund a wide range of transportation solutions. Nic Glover serves as vice president of public policy at the Tampa Bay Chamber. All three have been involved in the effort to bring more transportation funding to the county.
CLT Alliance attendees learned the history of transportation funding in and around Tampa, including that a 1930 Florida gas tax has only increased from $0.06 per gallon to $0.26 today, despite a population expanding 15 times in that same period. More recently, four ballot measures to increase transportation funding have been before voters since 2010, with three failing and one succeeding, only to see the measure halted in court.
The key question explored in the transportation panel was, “What can Charlotte learn from Tampa’s experience?”
Support from the business community
The first learning from the panel was that the business community must be involved and supportive of any effort to increase transportation funding.
“The chamber views transportation as a competitiveness issue,” Glover said.
The chamber contributed to fundraising efforts for previous ballot measures, encouraged other regional chambers to support the measures, and engaged “prosperity leaders,” (members of the business community) to share their perspective on transportation and why the investment was important to their business, workforce, and community.
Barker said the involvement of Jeff Vinik, owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning, was crucial to giving AFT credibility among other business leaders, with political leaders, and with community members.
Vinik and others contributed funds to the signature collection effort to get the 2018 effort on the ballot, a project that cost $1 million itself. The business leaders then contributed additional funds to run the campaign as well.
In 2018, the ballot measure received approval from voters with 57% of the vote. However, three weeks later, a Hillsborough County commissioner filed suit, arguing that the ballot language was confusing and the approved tax and governance structure superseded the county commission’s authority to decide how public funds should be spent.
By the time the Florida Supreme Court finally struck down the 2018 ballot measure, $515 million had already been collected. That money is still sitting in an account, its use not yet determined.
“AFT would have been a grand slam, but we need to keep hitting singles,” Hudson said.
A broad coalition to back the effort
“Unfortunately, transportation has become political, synonymous with raising taxes,” Glover said.
The reality is that America’s infrastructure – Tampa’s, Charlotte’s, and countless other communities’ – need to be upgraded and expanded. A significant financial investment is needed to have an adequate infrastructure system.
As in Tampa, any municipalities or counties in North Carolina seeking to make significant transportation investments must go to voters for approval.
“We approached the campaign as a non-partisan adventure,” Hudson said. “Transportation is a quality of life issue,” he continued.
The second learning from the panel is that broad support is needed for a transportation tax increase to be successful.
AFT sought support from environmental groups, proponents of different forms of micromobility, the building community, real estate groups, and many others. Additionally, Glover and the chamber worked to gain support from the broader business community representing varied industries including health care, logistics, and retail, among others.
AFT built into the ballot measure an independent oversight committee that could facilitate a citizen audit of any money raised from the new tax. AFT’s polling showed that residents viewed public trust as a key component of any new tax. This is another example of AFT working to ensure all voices would be heard in the process.
The result of having a broad coalition of support in 2018 was a 57% victory. However, after that measure was litigated and halted, AFT had a measure back on the ballot in 2022. Despite similar broad support, the measure narrowly failed.
Notably, AFT did not outline specific projects that should be funded if the measure passed. Instead, AFT wanted to do the work to get the measures approved, and then allow the community to decide how the new funds should be spent. Approaching the relationship with the community that way helped get buy-in from several groups, all of which had projects they wanted to see happen.
“All for Transportation showed that citizens aren’t powerless, and they have to demand better services,” Hudson said.
The good work of the broad coalition in 2018 and 2022 showed an appetite for transportation investment in Hillsborough County. When AFT goes to the voters again, they will continue to enlist a broad, diverse set of community members to tell their stories of why they want to invest in their community and why they want voters to do so as well.
Relentlessly pursue investment in our community
“All for Transportation was a political disruption, and we need to keep kicking doors down,” Barker said of the initial effort in 2018.
The final, and most important learning from the panel, was that the work to make this investment happen is worth it for current and future generations.
After a two-year period from 2015-16 when local elected leaders could not agree on a path forward for transportation, All for Transportation was formed to collect signatures and put a funding measure on the ballot. Citizens and business leaders wanted to see action and had the opportunity, in Florida, to collect signatures and put the measure on the ballot.
With the chamber viewing transportation as a competitiveness issue, their leaders jumped in to support the effort. Glover said that seeking transportation solutions also helps to build inclusive communities.
“Underserved communities are close to transportation options, but lack real access,” he said.
Several speakers throughout the trip shared that the Tampa Bay Region consistently works cohesively to come up with bold solutions that lift all neighborhoods, communities, and residents.
Transportation is the one issue that every member of the community is invested in and needs to work efficiently. The Charlotte Region must continue to explore which types of mobility solutions the community needs and work relentlessly to deliver those options to current and future residents.
Near the end of the transportation conversation, Glover and Hudson shared that their young children attend the same school. Hudson said that if this generation isn’t able to fix the transportation issues in Tampa, maybe the next generation will be ready to step up and find solutions.
The Charlotte Region has an opportunity to make critical investments in infrastructure now so that future generations can benefit from those investments and build upon them, rather than merely catch up: if that will even be possible.
