At the August 19th meeting of the City Commission, each City Commissioner gave their thoughts and wishes on how the budget process should move in the coming weeks, culminating with a vote in mid-September.
After the vibrant discussion, which referenced the input from a number of citizens interested in addressing the proposed 23% property tax, Mayor Gillum summed up the comments and gave specific directions to the city manager and the city staff. See the video below.
Mayor Gillum specifically asked for a budget option with no tax increase along with other options for the City Commissioners to consider.
On Friday, the city released the agenda for the first public hearing on the budget, which will be held on Wednesday September 16th, and City Manager Anita Favors-Thompson has ignored the Mayor’s request.
The agenda for Wednesday’s meeting did not include an option for no tax increase.
Mayor Gillum said in the August 19th meeting, “If we wait until September to get to it we are really going to be within a rock and a hard place.”
Well it is September and sources tell TR there is no budget option with no tax increase. TR, and others, have emailed Heath Beach of the City’s budget office and asked about the omission. So far there has been no explanation forwarded.
Questions remain.
Is this part of a budget strategy on behalf of the City Manager Favors-Thompson, to put the Commission “within a rock and had place” as Mayor Gillum stated?
Has Mayor Gillum or any other Commissioners sought clarification from City Manager Anita Favors-Thompson?
TR will continue to investigate.
City Manager, City Staff Ignore Request by Elected Officials added by Staff on
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She is over paid for what she can do. If she worked for the State she would make half as much if she could find a job that involved skills and no political connections.
What people like Carla who are totally out of touch with reality do not understand that Preston Scott is 100% correct. Brad is also correct because if you challenge Staff or the City Manager, they will retaliate against you and members of your family for decades. I know, I have lived here for over 40 years.
If we had anybody on the commission who could show leadership, they would fire the City Manager over this 27% tax hike, and insubordination for refusing to respond to the Mayor’s request for other options,and trotting out the Police Chief to lie to the public.
Furthermore, it is a hidden tax on the business community to spend the time to do the job of the City Manager and put together budget to fund the Police Department.
If Carla had to deal with the City Bureaucracy to put bread on her table, she would singing a different tune.
Only in the Socialistic Republic of Tallahassee do you have a segment of the population that think that nothing is wrong with raising taxes 27%.
I’d be happy to step into her position at a reduced rate of $200,000/year and apply my experienced and successful business practices. She’s a joke. Never willing to face the public. Hiding in her ‘ivory’ tower. She really is Oz, pulling the strings behind the curtain. Guess who the puppets are!
Tallahassian are to lazy as a whole to do ANYTHING about this. They simply waddle the polls one every 2 to 4 years an vote one of two ways. Racially, or the way that strokes their ego.
God FORBID we elect competent individual who could balance a budget and invest in economic growth.
I really believe this is going to change.
It’ll change for me. I’m moving out first chance I get.
It’s an ironic use of the word competent in an otherwise incoherent post.
Yeah, I admit, I blew it for not completely re-reading taht post before I hit “send”.
“Tallahassians, once, & and” would have made it a whole lot more legible. Sorry, JustMe! 😉
So proud of the wonderful job our city manager has done and continues to do. Ever stop and think that the only way this area can stay a good place to live is by an increase in property taxes? No, that doesn’t occur to those who steadfastly refuse to support the infrastructure while demanding services.
Carla, There was a group of business owners – the ones who employ folks who do NOT work for government – downtown today sharing the impact of this ridiculous tax increase. Your City Manager has mismanaged the City for years. From allowing Commissioners to steal, yes, steal, money through the infamous deferred comp debacle (which they stopped when it was uncovered) to this latest tax hike proposal. The only reason to ask for a 23% tax hike (originally 27%) is mismanagement. That is the consensus of those who actually run businesses. The issues with the budget have NOTHING to do with infrastructure. One of the reasons we are taxed so heavily – which scares away business – is because well meaning people like you do not know the facts. Our community just passed an extension of the one percent sales tax to pay for infrastructure. It has NOTHING, repeat NOTHING, to do with the budget.
Removing St. Anita will not go far enough to have impact. I say remove the entire top 3 echelons of leaders across the board and hire from outside to replace. Have any of you actually had the pleasure of watching some of these people (upper staff) come unglued when proved they are wrong. It is a wonderful thing to witness and they try their best to harm those that call them out publicly.
I agree with Hope & Change, let’s do thew same thing they did to Dan. Let’s fire her and name a plaza after her. Favors-Thompson Plaza has a nice ring to it.
It’s “between a rock and a hard place”, since if you’re within a rock, you’re dead. 😉
Here’s the origin of the phrase
DavidB, you are exactly correct. The local media did the same thing with Dan Kleman. The best City Manager was Scott Burnett but he would not play ball so they fired him. The city manager should be changed every four years. Staff runs the City.
City Commissioners are afraid not to give Staff 3% annual raises every year even if there is no inflation like we are experiencing now and have for the past six years.
We need to remove the entire bunch, commissioners included, and especially the Queen who can not wear her wig on straight.
I am with you on that one. How do we get started.
If the City Manager did not respond to the city commissioners’ public request, I suspect it has more to do with the fact that she had three votes behind the scenes TO NOT PROVIDE the information. If you’re looking for a culprit here, you should probably look to the commissioners who want to increase property taxes 23% as the likely source for her three votes: Gillum, Miller, and Richardson.
Bingo!
The Queen has let her opinion be known. Andrew learned a valuable lesson.
We hope.
I’ve lived in this town from the late 80’s, and I’ve seen this women be lionized and deified by the local media. Heck, remember how the Democrat embarrassed themselves, fawning all over her when she married another local liberal a decade or two back. She doubtlessly feels what SHE thinks is all that matter, and the rest of is had better bow down before her.
The Mayor and the City Commission are going to be in for a fight, and it’d be best for everyone if this woman was removed from her position and a professional manager be put in her place.
If anyone in Tallahassee even KNOWS what a professional is…
I don’t think so