Tallahassee Reports has learned that Mayor Andrew Gillum is seeking a 21% increase in the Mayor’s office budget in 2016.The increase would be funded through a portion of the proposed property tax increase.
A review of the budget shows that in 2015 the Mayor’s office, when you remove the City’s lobbying contract which is a pass through, was allocated $392,802 .
In 2016 the Mayor’s office budget is set to be $476,799, a 21% increase (equal to approximately $84,000) over the 2015 level.
For comparison purposes, the City’s police department budget will increase 5.8% in 2016.
How about the offices for the other elected officials?
The budget shows that there were minor changes, less than 1%, in the other four offices of elected officials when 2016 levels were compared to approved budget levels in 2015.
Why a 21% increase in the Mayor’s office budget?
Commissioner Scott Maddox asked about the increase at the budget workshop. But Mayor Gillum, sitting next to Commissioner Maddox, and City staff did not have an answer.
TR asked for the information weeks ago and it appears the City’s budget department did not have access to the line item expenditures in the Mayor’s office.
The budget office reply to TR indicated that the Mayor’s office was busy with the budget workshop and the request would have to wait.
This brings up another question – why did the Mayor’s office not submit a line item budget to the City’s budget department for review?
Stay tuned.
Gillum Seeks 21% Increase in Mayor’s Office Budget; Would Be Funded By Property Tax added by Staff on
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Steve,
I contacted Commissioner Ziffer and thanked him for his no vote on the budget. Also, I asked what the plan was for the $2 million the city will receive from the BP settlement. I told him that it should go back to the taxpayers to offset the increase. Let’s see if that happens.
Instead of increasing taxes cut expenses like you flying first class instead of coach like the ones of us that are paying you.
Hope & Change… well we did not get any change. The same old shell game with our money. This is just the beginning of another long term nightmare in City Hall.
Please keep shinning the light on city government and maybe the citizens who do not vote in local elections will wake up.
Congratulations, Tallahassee! You got rid of the last worthless mayor and elected another.
Is it time to strip Commissioners of their power to tax and leave it with the citizens? It is interesting – the community put these people into office, but does not trust them, hence the overwhelming vote for an independent ethics officer (which, by the way, the Ethics Board is not following, more to come); we now come to another area where only two Commissioners, Maddox and Ziffer, seem to care at all about the tax increase and justification for a massive increase. Remember, everyone will pay more in good and services because businesses will be hit hard by this tax increase.
Mr. Preston are there any benefits to the tax increase. How else do you propose we address the current rise in crime in Tallahassee? I have some ideas but I would like to see what you think.
Philip,
We will have another story soon that will give some details on the increases.
Steve Stewart
LOL this is some serious clickbait. if you pull the numbers the subtraction is waaaaay off. after you take away the lobbying part the increase is half what yall say. i agree that transparency is good but making up numbers is bad.
Dave,
You need to show numbers if you are going to question our calculation. I double checked and stand by our numbers which were provided through a public record request.
Steve Stewart
Can we have some clarification as to what this lobbying contract is and what is meant by “pass through?” Does the proposed 2016 budget include any amounts from this contract or any other pass throughs? That would make it easier to understand.
Mr. Stewart we can disagree on everything but you are right on this issue. Transparency is a must for a democratic process
That’s a serious accusation. Don’t leave us hanging, Dave.
Just more entitlement funding. Like all the other Obama wannabes. Sticking their grubby paws into our pockets.
This Guy has got to go.I think we need George Walker for mayor and Preston Scott city manager.Wake up Tallahassee these libs are going to take and never give and that is a dead in road
What does “lib” have to do with this, other than a childish slur? Everyone wants accountable government and we are against anyone using public service to feather their own nest. Calling out a conflict of interest is not a partisan position, sir.
If that’s true, then why do we repeatedly vote for people who feather their own nest?
Have a feeling that is going to change. Richardson will be the first domino!
So the mayor needs almost 1/2 a million dollars to carry out his duties. I am sure we could find someone to do the job better for much less.
You know my opinion. This Mayor has done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for this City. So are we changing public service to mean self service now? It appears so. If I had to pay an increase on my taxes for this BS, I would be finding a way for my voice to be heard…. good luck.
At what point do we call for resignations of the Mayor and City Manager for, at the very least, planning so poorly as to require a 27% increase in property taxes? I personally think the two of them have been in cahoots on this from the start.
Is anyone really surprised? I am not!
NO NO NO!!! I want to know what my tax dollars are paying for!! Another slick bit of Progressive transparency – “you have to pass it first” – then read and find out where your tax dollars are going. NO THANK YOU! Tired of the shell games! TRUTH MATTERS!!!
You ask: why did the Mayor’s office not submit a line item budget to the City’s budget department for review?
Because they have never had to before!
Thank you Tallahassee Reports for attending these meetings that occur while the rest of us are at work earning money that the City Commission wants to take a bigger portion of and they don’t seem to even know why they want it!
Here we go again with more corruption from our city mayor. I don’t trust him and I DON”T want higher taxes!!