The City of Tallahassee held a budget workshop last week and staff informed city commissioners that budget analysts estimated an increase in property values which will raise an additional $2.6 million in property tax revenues.
The city commission voted to hold the property tax rate at 4.1 mils. However, given the increase in property values, the vote is considered a tax increase.
The estimated capital budget for fiscal year 2019 totals $153.6 million. This request includes a total investment of $19.1 million for public infrastructure projects, $13.2 million for new technology, $11.2 million at the Airport, and $83.4 million in the city’s six utilities.
The General Fund budget is estimated to be $157.6 million, and the total operating budget is $738.4 million. The proposed budget for the general fund includes $58.4 million for the Tallahassee Police Department, an additional $6.5 million for road maintenance, $23.7 million for parks and recreation, including the two new parks, and $7 million for human services. Funding is also included for transfers to the Consolidated Dispatch Agency.
The City workforce will remain at 2,851.50 positions.
Also, based on the five-year rotation, rate studies are being conducted for the Electric and Gas Funds and are anticipated to be completed by the end of the summer. It is expected that base rates, which staff revealed is experiencing upward pressure, will recover the costs of operating the electric or utility, including the transfer to the general fund.
Public hearings have been scheduled on the 2019 budget for September 12 and 26 at 6 p.m.
City of Tallahassee Seeks Property Tax Increase, Review of Electric Rates added by Staff on
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Yah, like Steve says, in-fill, soaring government extortion, over-regulation…the area has been over-populated for decades.
If they want an electricity rate “change” let FP&L, Talquin, et al. * extend service into the city. I started to say the city should also extend lines outside the city, but that stage-coach moved out of the station long ago. In any case, competition increase should be mandated with every request for rate change.
* Shock. After nearly 40 years of disgust, I lost track of the neighboring rackets. As econ. prof. Walter Primeaux noted, utilities can (and do) compete from place to place in the USA.
While you were sleeping…city electric rates were raised from last year.
Wow…u people really are a bunch of windbags..Get over it, run for office if u think anyone cares what u say…It lest windbag Steve Stuwert tried…U morons just bitch and complain….Losers
Todd, the way you use (or attempt to do so) the English language is — unique. I hope you (not u) didn’t go to college, because you were either cheated out of tuition or asleep most of the time. Your resume is entertaining to peruse, I imagine. However, you are free to opine here, however incoherent.
The best way to reduce the cost of running the City of Tallahassee is to give it less money. Long-term residents should not be asked to pay more via same tax rate, but more valuable property/home, to help pay for the cost of providing services to new residents because growth isn’t paying for itself and the City is using tax dollars to recruit more growth which will not pay for itself and/or default. If anything, long-term residents should be rewarded with tax/fee decreases for not abandoning the City during all the recent shenanigans….
North Miami Beach mayor forced to step down over $5,000 payment:
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/north-miami-beach-mayors-wife-paid-by-trump-tied-dezer-developers-10424093
Three months probation, plus house arrest.
Too bad he didn’t set up an Ethics Board (windy dinky) to whitewash his corruption.
That’s the COT way :
1. Give Insiders and staffers ridiculously high and unjustified salaries.
2. Use taxpayer money to fund dubious city projects that personally enrich elected officials and their family members-cronies.
3. Whatever happens, don’t look for ways to reduce expenses, cut waste, or be more efficient.
4. Always default to “Raise Taxes” at every opportunity.
5. In addition to All of the Above, start a vague and hazy-goals “Children’s Services” agency that can raise taxes even further, to take heat off COT officials when the citizens are really angry.
It’s been an OK (but only OK and not much better) ten years for me here in Tallahassee, but one more tax hike, city corruption scandal, or a failed FBI investigation and I’ll be out of here to another city that actually makes financial sense for me to live.
Question of the day:
Why has it never even entered into anyone’s mind at COT to take that performing arts scam money and put it into something beneficial to the citizens such as utility reductions.
Answer:
The performing arts center was a money grab scam from the start.
Bend over folks. The annual screwing is coming. I
Two things in life are certain:
Death, and the raising of taxes in Taxahassee.
Correction, three things: death, raising taxes in Taxahassee and Tallahassee #1 in crime in the state of Florida for the fourth year in a row!
Add Taxahassee making the Worst 50 Cities in the US list and that would be 4 things.
At #39:
http://www.wfla.com/news/florida/6-florida-cities-make-list-of-50-worst-us-cities-to-live-in/1224044563
Choose Tallahassee, how much taxpayer money are they Hoovering up these days?