TAMPA, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis is pointing to the Florida Department of Transportation to divvy out the $570 million collected through the Hillsborough Transportation Sales Tax back in 2019 to 2021. 

The tax ended abruptly when the Florida Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional. 

This week, DeSantis decided FDOT will now figure out which projects the funds will go to within Hillsborough County communities.

“We have more than enough projects to utilize all of that funding, so we are very, very excited and very appreciative to the governor for earmarking that money to come back to Hillsborough County,” said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. 

Go to South Tampa, into the Virginia Parks neighborhood, and residents there would like to see some of the money for their streets too. 

“Doing some of the sidewalks, filling in gaps, and paving the roads. I don’t know when the last time the roads South of Bay to Bay in Virginia Park were done. But I have lived here 22 years, and I haven’t seen it,” said Thomas Connelly, President of the Virginia Parks Neighborhood Association.

He said Lois Avenue is really bad. 

“Right now it is just patches, and you can see, they are doing some of the work right now. The road isn’t in the best of shape,” said Connelly. 

There is an ongoing Water Improvements Project happening in the area. That is scheduled to wrap up in February 2024. 

The City of Tampa said it will improve water pressure, enhance water quality, improve fire protection and reduce water infrastructure breaks. 

But residents want to see roads repaved and sidewalks replaced as well. 

“Throughout the neighborhood streets and on the main thoroughfares like Lois here, you have potholes, and incomplete paving that you can see has been done years and years and years,” said John Mullinax, Virginia Parks resident. 

He and Connelly are hopeful now. They want to see the City of Tampa get some of the Hillsborough Transportation Sales Tax funding. 

“This is a long overdue process that is needed, and it seems like it is a perfect opportunity to do it now that you have redone the pipes and infrastructure,” said Mullinax. 

“We knew they had kicked the can down the road, and I understand they still haven’t formally decided. But if Tampa does get a share of that, we would like to have the original parameters of the contract,” said Connelly. 

Castor said if Tampa gets some of the money, it would be spent on maintenance repairs, bridges and roadways. 

“We can benefit in all areas. We have to wait and see what the parameters are on that funding, if any,” said Castor.

FDOT has until September 2024 to decide on those projects to fund. Spectrum Bay News 9 reached out to get more details, but FDOT did not return our requests.