Tallahassee Reports recently posted a story on the 21% increase in spending requested by Mayor Gillum’s office in the proposed 2016 City of Tallahassee budget. The full story, with video from the budget workshop where City Commissioner Scott Maddox asked about the increase, can be seen here.
Now we have more details about the increase.
Tallahassee Reports has received additional information from the City’s budget office. The additional information confirms the facts in the original report and provides detail on what categories in the Mayors office are being increased.
It is important for our readers to understand that all information used in the reports on the Mayor’s office have been provided by the City’s budget office. While there has been some confusion about the lobbying contracts, we have been diligent in seeking clarification and the City’s budget office has responded to our questions via email.
The total increase requested for the Mayor’s office over the 2015 budget is approximately $84,000.
What categories are increasing?
The Salary category accounts for $35,159 of the increase. Salaries in 2015 were budgeted at $245,363 and that number is $280,520 in the 2016 budget, a 14.3% increase.
For the same category in the General Fund, the increase from 2015 to 2016 in salaries is approximately 3%.
The Health Benefits category in the Mayor’s office is changing from $17,993 in 2015 to $24,663 in 2016, an increase of $6,669 or 39%.
For the same category in the General Fund, the increase from 2015 to 2016 is approximately 9.1%.
Adjusting for the transfer of the lobbying contracts to another department, the Contract Services category increases from $15,000 to $55,000, an increase of $40,000. There is no detail on what specific items are covered by this increase.
One category in the Mayor’s office showed a decrease and that was a pension category that decreased by approximately $700, or 2% below the 2015 budgeted level.
TR has requested documents that will explain the specifics of all increases. For example, what employees are getting salary increases? What new services are being contracted by the Mayor’s office?
We hope to have those in a week or so.
Mayor’s Office Seeks Increases in Salaries, Health Benefits & Contract Services added by Staff on
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Unpaid internships are illegal, unless they’re taken for class credit. I’d prefer my tax dollars not go toward paying Marie Mattox’s legal fees after a 20 year old sues the city and wins due to illegal labor practices.
We do not need to fund the Mayor’s internship program. That is not a matter of public safety. Yes – it would be great to give upcoming students an opportunity to learn more about city government. You can do that without paying them. If you are thinking of paying the young man who answers the Mayor’s office phone in the late afternoon – think about providing him some OTJT and manners before you let him answer the phone. Horrible attitude!
Thw Mayor has no shame. If these are the increases this year, can you imagine what it will add up to by the end of his first and hopfully only term. Hey Mr. Gillum, news flash, I don’t work to fund your slush fund.