Referendum 3: One-Half Cent Sales Surtax for Public School Air Conditioning and Capital Improvements

Hillsborough County Referendums

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Research as of Oct. 23, 2026

Read by a synthetic voice from this page’s research. A summary, not a recommendation.

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Hillsborough voters will decide whether to keep a half-cent sales tax that pays for school buildings. The ballot choices read For or Against the tax. Voting For continues the tax for ten years starting in 2029, for air conditioning, construction, security and maintenance. It is a renewal at the same rate, not an increase. Voting Against lets the tax end in 2028. It needs a simple majority, though one June news report said 60 percent. The district reports more than 1.15 billion dollars spent through February, and puts the cost at about 86 dollars a year for the average taxpayer. Those are the district's own figures. No independent audit was found. The county PTA council, the West Central Florida Labor Council, and both the county Democratic and Republican parties back it. No organized opposition was found. Creative Loafing Tampa Bay's editors say vote For. The Tampa Bay Times editorial board calls it a smart investment, while urging the district to trim bureaucracy. The Yes committee had raised about 140 thousand dollars as of October 9. No public polling was found. Research as of October 23, 2026. Sources and the full picture are on this page.

Official sample ballot wording

Hillsborough County Referendum No. 3

One-Half Cent Sales Surtax for Public School Air Conditioning and Capital Improvements

School capital outlay sales surtax

Shall a one-half cent school capital outlay sales surtax be continued for a ten (10) year levy by the School Board of Hillsborough County beginning January 1, 2029, to fund air conditioning replacement and repairs, capital improvements and construction of other schools, building enhancements for school security and other maintenance needs?

For the one-half cent tax · Against the one-half cent tax

Simple majority needed to passSources differ; see conflicts

FactOfficial sample ballot wording

Hillsborough County Referendum No. 3

One-Half Cent Sales Surtax for Public School Air Conditioning and Capital Improvements

School capital outlay sales surtax

For the one-half cent tax · Against the one-half cent tax

Simple majority needed to passSources differ; see conflicts

Mark your ballot

For the one-half cent taxCreative Loafing's pickAgainst the one-half cent tax

EditorialWhy Creative Loafing picks Yes (renew the school sales tax)

Creative Loafing listed this pick in its guide without a write-up.

Creative Loafing voting guide 2026: How to vote in Tampa Bay, and who we're voting for

Where it stands

FactCounty referendums (majority) · Referendum 3 (School half-cent sales tax renewal)

No public polling

No polls found in the research. Research as of Oct. 24, 2026.

Lead recommendationEditorialCreative Loafing Tampa Bay, Oct. 23, 2026

Creative Loafing’s pick

Yes (renew the school sales tax)

Why

Creative Loafing listed this pick in its guide without a write-up. Its reporting on the race is below.

Creative Loafing voting guide 2026: Hillsborough County Commission, School Board and referendums · every pick: the full guide

Why this leads: The site owner's choice (Oct. 24): the recommendation that best matches the owner's values, shown first on every contest. Still an editorial: one outlet's opinion, not this site's.

The money gap

Fact

Only the Yes side has a committee in the research; no opposing committee was found.

Raised by the committees on each side

Hillsborough Students Deserve BetterYes side (Half-Penny Promise)
$140Kas of Oct 9, 2026

Figures from the money map research, compared like for like. Outside groups' spending isn't counted unless noted.

What the research holds

Counts from every page and file

Polls: 0
Money-map edges: 0
Network edges: 3
Progressive support: 3
Progressive oppose: 0
Right-leaning support: 1
Right-leaning oppose: 0
Sources: 7
People & groups: 4

Tampa Bay Times

EditorialMoney map

Yes (For the tax)

The Times' case: “A smart investment.”
The other side: The Times also urges the district to trim bureaucracy and consider closing underused schools.

EditorialAs recorded in each guide

Progressive guide: Both recommend Yes (Oct 7)
Right-leaning guide: Both recommend Yes (Oct 7)

Other editorial pages

Opinion columns, not endorsements

No other editorial page in the research has made a pick here.

Endorsements, both lenses

Neither lens is this site's voice

Progressive lens

LensOpen the guide

Summary

FOR continues the existing half-cent school sales tax for 10 years from Jan 1, 2029, for A/C replacement, construction, security and maintenance.

For the tax3 support · 0 oppose

SupportEndorsement

Labor: West Central Florida Labor Council, AFL-CIO · Oct 7 list; HCTA (teachers union) directs members to itDirect
Democratic Party & caucuses: Hillsborough County Democratic Party · A renewal, not a new tax, with independent oversightDirect
Nonpartisan civic (context): Hillsborough County Council PTA/PTSA · Runs the "Half-Penny Promise" campaignDirect

Against the tax0 support · 0 oppose

No listings found in this guide.

Notes

No progressive group opposes it; unnamed critics want tighter spending guardrails.

Conservative side, as noted in this guide

The Hillsborough GOP also recommends YES.

Searched, nothing found

Sierra Club (no position), Florida Rising, Equality Florida, League of Women Voters of Hillsborough County (2026), FEA statewide.

Right-leaning lens

LensOpen the guide

Summary

FOR continues the existing half-cent school sales tax for 2029–2038 (~$121–131M/yr); it doesn't raise the 7.5% county rate.

For the tax1 support · 0 oppose

SupportEndorsement

Republican Party & officials: Hillsborough County Republican Party · Slate card: "Yes for the continuation of 1/2 Cent Sales Surtax"Direct

Against the tax0 support · 0 oppose

No listings found in this guide.

Notes

No right-leaning opposition found. Context: in 2024 the GOP-led commission cut the school district's share of the county infrastructure tax from 25% to 5% and stalled a schools tax vote (Axios).

Progressive side, as noted in this guide

Hillsborough Democrats, the Labor Council and the PTA Council say YES.

Searched, nothing found

AFP, local taxpayer groups, No Tax for Tracks–style activists, Tampa Bay Partnership, Greater Tampa Chamber, Tampa Bay Builders.

Terms

Definition

Discretionary sales surtaxAn extra local sales tax for a set purpose

Sources

7 in the registry, official records first · All sources

Creative Loafing voting guide 2026: How to vote in Tampa Bay, and who we're voting for · Creative Loafing Tampa BayTier 2: Regional or national press, aggregators
Hillborough vote teacher pay tax republicans · Axios / Axios Tampa BayTier 2: Regional or national press, aggregators
Hillsborough amendments school superintendent county commission · Tampa Bay TimesTier 2: Regional or national press, aggregators
Advocacy · Hillsborough County Council PTA/PTSATier 4: Advocacy or endorsing organization (cited for its own position)
Election Endorsements — as of October 7, 2026 (PDF) · West Central Florida Labor Council, AFL-CIO (hosted on Action Network)Tier 4: Advocacy or endorsing organization (cited for its own position)
Hillsborough County Republican Party Endorsed Candidates for 2026 (slate card PDF) · Hillsborough County Republican PartyTier 4: Advocacy or endorsing organization (cited for its own position)
Vote — Hillsborough County Democratic Party voter guide · Hillsborough County Democratic PartyTier 4: Advocacy or endorsing organization (cited for its own position)

Where sources disagree

All conflicts

County referendum passage threshold
- simple majority
- 60%
Resolved: simple majority, with visible caveat
Bill text controls; one June WUSF report said 60%.
Half-cent surtax spending to date
- $1.15B spent through Feb 28, 2026 (incl. ~$682.6M local/small business)
- >$1.3B generated / 754 projects
- $1.326B invested / 900+ projects
- $1.5B
Resolved: show dated figures, marked district self-reported
No independent audit or oversight report was found (gap).

Matched from the research's conflict list by contest, candidate, judge or measure name.