To James Castineda, every penny matters right now.
“Obviously like most Americans in the nation, we’re all living check to check,” he said.
So, the Tampa dad will have two big decisions in front of him when he votes in November, because there will be two tax measures on the ballot in Hillsborough County.
One of them: a property tax hike to increase teacher pay which the school district and its allies say is badly needed.
The other: a renewal of the half penny sales tax called the Community Investment Tax (CIT).
The 30-year tax was approved in 1996 to help build Raymond James Stadium and fund other projects. Voters will decide if that tax should be extended for 15 more years.
“It has benefited our citizens in every single corner of this community, and what we’re looking at right now is a renewal,” said Mayor Jane Castor at a Friday news conference.
At the news conference, Castor and other community leaders said the renewed tax would be less focused on the stadium and a lot more focused on improving transportation, public safety, and infrastructure to keep up with the county’s growth.