TR has learned that the City of Tallahassee’s Independent Ethics Board has begun an investigation into the pension payments being made to former City Commissioner Debbie Lightsey. The Executive Director of the Ethics Board, Julie Meadows-Keefe, provides a status of complaints and investigations each month. This months report, which is part of the agenda to […]
Last January the City Commission voted 3-2 to change the closing time for restaurants and nightclubs from 2:30 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. The change kept in place the law that requires all establishments to stop selling beer, wine and liquor by 2 a.m. The change went into effect in February, 2016. You can read our report on […]
After receiving a 22% increase in average salaries from 2008 to 2015, the City budget staff is asking for more increases for non-public safety related General Fund employees in 2017. The agenda for the budget workshop to be held on May 11, 2016 states: “General employees include all employees that are not part of a collective […]
It has now become clear that the City of Tallahassee budget staff presented distorted facts about General Fund spending trends to City Commissioners at the inaugural budget workshop for fiscal year 2017 on April 13th. This finding comes amid a request by citizens groups to roll back the 13% property tax increase passed last year. […]
The Network of Entrepreneurs and Business Advocates (NEBA) held a political forum on Tuesday for candidates seeking positions on the City Commission. NEBA, with approximately 250 members, routinely provides opportunities for candidates to introduce themselves to the business community and to answer questions about issues important to their membership. This year two seats on the […]
The Citizens for Responsible Spending (CRS) and members of the Budget Hawks made several presentations at Wednesday’s City Commission meeting. The groups are asking the City Commission to roll back the 13% increase in property taxes that was adopted last year. The presentations addressed the rosy outlook presented by City staff weeks earlier at a […]
Has the average salary for City of Tallahassee general fund employees increased by 20% since 2008? Former Mayor Penny Herman, a member of the budget group Citizens for Responsible Spending (CRS), recently spoke at the City Commission’s budget workshop and asked elected officials to roll back the 13% property tax increase adopted last year. One […]
At this Wednesday’s City Commission meeting, elected officials will consider spending approximately $300,000 on a study that will provide support for the establishment of a new tax based on vehicle miles traveled. The tax is called a mobility fee. The cost of the study would be shared with the Leon County Board of County Commissioners. […]
Tallahassee Reports has learned that the City of Tallahassee paid $238,426 to an outside law firm for legal services associated with the lawsuit filed by former City firefighter Mark DeCarlo. A jury awarded DeCarlo $850,000 in a discrimination lawsuit. Public documents obtained through a public records request reveal that the City of Tallahassee paid Sniffen […]
DOMI Ventures LLC, which is the owner of DOMI Station, a local business incubator, is seeking $25,000 from the City of Tallahassee to sponsor start-up businesses. The issue is scheduled to be voted on at the next City Commission meeting, which will be held on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. Based on the documents provided, the […]