Florida Construction News staff writer
Tampa mayor Jane Castor has proposed a budget for Fiscal Year 2024 that ramps up the paving of deteriorated roads and construction of missing sidewalks, as well as increasing investments in affordable housing, public safety, and parks and recreation.
“The public is demanding that we start tackling these challenges head-on, that we invest in our infrastructure and increase service levels. Today. Not tomorrow. Not in the next Administration or under the next City Council, but now – and we’re listening,” Mayor Castor said Aug. 3, presenting the $1.92 billion budget to council.
Currently, the city pays for repaving projects in about 30 neighborhoods every five years. If approved, the additional spending would raise that to more than 100.
Castor says the budget “would help ensure Tampa continues to thrive as it keeps growing”. Twice in recent years, Tampa residents voted to raise the sales tax to tackle deteriorating roads and transportation gaps, but the added resources never materialized.
“Over 50,000 new residents in the past decade and tens of thousands of new jobs means higher demand for services and more wear-and-tear on our infrastructure,” Mayor Castor said. “With an expected 150,000 new residents and 250,000 new jobs in the next 22 years, protecting our quality of life requires better infrastructure and smarter growth.”
The budget can be reviewed here.
