At the July 7th budget workshop, the Tallahassee City Commission approved a proposed budget for fiscal year 2022 (FY22). The proposed budget includes a $758 million operating budget and a $273 million capital budget.
Public hearings are scheduled for September 8th and September 22nd to prepare for final approval of the the budget which takes effect on October 1, 2021.
The FY22 budget includes 2,914 citywide FTE (full time equivalent) employees. This incorporates 57 new FTEs that are being converted from OPS positions and 1.50 new FTEs in Parks and Recreation to support the amphitheater and tennis operations.
The General Fund, which is funded, in part, by property taxes, comes in at $171,255,883. This is approximately $10 million more than the FY21 approved budget.
The proposed FY22 operating budget for the general fund holds the millage rate at 4.1 mills for the sixth consecutive fiscal year. The preliminary property valuation for the City, for the purpose of determining property taxes, in FY22 is $13.3 billion representing a 3.6% increase over the prior year. On this basis, the City’s property tax revenue is estimated at $51.7 million, an increase of $1.8 million over the prior year. This is consider a tax increase by state law.
The Tallahassee Police Department, which is supported by the general fund, is budgeted for $62.2 million in FY22 which is approximately $3 million more than FY21.
Based on prior direction from the Commission, the proposed budget addressed workforce compensation. The budget includes a 4.5 percent pay raise for non-union, full-time employees, with a guaranteed minimum $2,500 salary increase for employees earning less than $55,555.
“City staff work tirelessly, ethically, collaboratively and with integrity every day to provide exceptional citizen services,” City Manager Reese Goad said. “Investing in them – our greatest asset – and ensuring they can grow as part of our organization will allow us to continue providing the high-quality services residents expect.”
The FY22 operating budget totals $758.4 million across 14 different funds, as shown below.
City Approves $758 Million Operating Budget, $273 Million Capital Budget added by Steve Stewart on
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So if you are a conservative who would like to make a difference in how local government is conducted what do you do?
Run as a Republican and get all of the super minority conservative vote and loose each and every time?
No this approach has failed time and time again and again.
You need to be a conservative who plans about 3 years ahead by changing your voter registration to Democrat (yes there is a Florida voter website the public can get that data from).
Then start donating nominal amounts to local Democrats, attend government meetings, speak complementary to leftist Nannies at the meetings while reminding them of your donation status.
Then you run as a Democrat and win.
Any other method a conservative takes to win elected office here in Leon County is a disingenuous waste of time and money and frankly just stupid.
Anyway after you win you must continue to act as the rare Democrat with common sense if you want to get reelected.
Thats how you can make a difference.
Am I right Bill, Steve, anyone else that tried as a Republican? Yeah there was Manny back in the day but that was a one off that is NOT scheduled to happen again in our area in the next 137 years.
Keep in mind our elected officials are budgeting to the sensibilities of the leftist super majority of voters in our communitty. Conservative opinions of what is right or wrong are never a factor.
Its always been this way and likely always will stay this way. It is still wrong but I hope the above information helps new residents and young people get a better understanding of how and why local government works the way it does in this little island of leftys in a sea of North Florida conservative common sense normal thinking people.
This is what you have stepped into.