Hillsborough County officials told the Board of County Commissioners on July 23 that the county is directing an unprecedented level of funding to transportation but that even that money will not fully meet needs.

The county administrator’s office and Public Works reported the county expects to use $256,000,000 in transportation surtax dollars this year along with more than $130,000,000 in general-fund and CIT (capital improvement tax) resources for road resurfacing, preservation and capital projects. Kim Beyer, assistant county administrator, and Josh Velotti, engineering and operations director, described how the funds will be divided among pavement preservation, neighborhood and localized repairs, sidewalks and bridges.

The county’s transportation network — about 7,400 miles of roadway, nearly 300 bridges and roughly 600 traffic signals across 900 square miles of unincorporated Hillsborough County — requires ongoing maintenance and long-term capital investment, Beyer said. “Our core services are divided into three main areas: operating the system, preserving the system and building for the future,” she said.

Staff said the county uses a data-driven pavement condition index measured every two years to prioritize resurfacing work. Velotti described three project categories: major roads (multi-year, complex arterial and collector projects), local neighborhood paving (delivered in grouped neighborhoods for efficiency) and localized repairs for short segments with acute safety concerns. He said the county now collects roadway-condition data with sensor-equipped vehicles rather than sample visual inspections, which staff said improves objectivity and prioritization.

On sidewalks, Velotti said the county manages a backlog across about 3,400 miles of sidewalks (which staff noted equals roughly 18,000,000 linear feet). The sidewalk backlog has been reduced about 9 percent in recent years after increased funding; nearly 900 neighborhoods remain in the queue. To address isolated urgent needs more quickly, the county created a sidewalk action team (SWAT) for point repairs and launched a reimbursement program that allows homeowners to hire licensed contractors and apply for up to $1,500 reimbursement after obtaining a right-of-way use permit.

Bridges are inspected every two years, Velotti said; the county’s bridge inventory averages about 43 years of age, and two county bridges are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The county evaluates bridge projects using condition, traffic volume, detour length and flood susceptibility to set priorities for rehabilitation.

Commissioners raised operational concerns. Commissioner Hagan said neighborhoods sometimes appear poorly maintained despite meeting structural criteria, which can frustrate residents who see aesthetics and repeated, short-lived resurfacing. Commissioner Cohen urged clearer public signage and communications so residents know which projects are funded by their local tax dollars. Commissioner Wolston suggested the county compare its Transportation Design Manual and unit costs with other jurisdictions to identify potential efficiencies; Greg Horwedel, deputy county administrator, said staff has done comparative analyses and is willing to pursue further reviews with stakeholders.

Staff described workforce and delivery challenges, including shortages of engineering and project-management personnel and increased competition for contractors and materials statewide. Velotti said the county is pursuing recruitment, reclassification of vacant roles, partnerships with FDOT and the Transportation Planning Organization, and a balance of contracted and in-house delivery to maximize the available funding.

The administration’s recommended FY26 budget and the CIT renewal are central to staff’s multi-year funding plan: staff presented a projected funding mix that relies heavily on CIT renewal dollars for preservation and improvement programs while continuing to seek state and federal grant opportunities. Beyer and Velotti said staff will continue to program projects at different phases so construction funds are requested only for projects that have completed planning and design.

Commissioners signaled interest in follow-up work: several asked staff to return with comparative cost analyses of design standards and with improved public-facing information about homeowner reimbursement for sidewalk repairs. Velotti said the county will expand communications about the reimbursement pathway and continue to refine delivery strategies.

Votes at this meeting: none recorded on transportation items. Several ongoing programs and planned steps were described but not adopted as formal board votes.