Tallahassee City Commission candidates Jack Porter and Dot Inman-Johnson are proposing $60,000 starting salaries for firefighters, which – if implemented – would result in a major increase in the fire service fund budget and a possible increase in the fire service fee.
All Tallahassee residents pay a fire service fee via the City of Tallahassee utility bill.
Current estimates indicate the proposal could cost over $4 million in recurring annual costs. However, Porter and Inman-Johnson have not revealed how the new cost would be funded.
Ironically, both Porter and Inman-Johnson are campaigning against a 2023 property tax increase which addressed public safety by hiring more police officers and investing in crime fighting technology.
The Proposal
Porter says she believes their annual salary should start at $60,000, which is more than what the union has requested. “I think that is what we should do if we want to pay them a fair wage and undo some of the damage that we’ve done to our department by putting them through this ordeal.”
Inman-Johnson is part of group called Friends of Tallahassee Firefighters which is calling for $60,000 to be the starting point for any fireman and an escalated scale of 8% for every category of fire worker to be paid in that three-year contract.
During the recent political forums, Porter & Inman Johnson have advocated for increase spending but have not proposed how the new benefits for firefighters would be funded.
Developing Story: Porter, Inman-Johnson Campaigns Support Major Increase in Fire Service Spending added by Steve Stewart on
View all posts by Steve Stewart →
Well… First, Pizza Boy exposed himself as the fraud that he is… now Mrs. Inman-Johnson seems to have followed suit. Nothing from our own little AOC Mini-Me though.
Looks like the three amigos of the destructive and dangerous Pro-Hamas Progressive ideology fit the billing to a “T”… “All Hat, No Cattle”
@ TLH Whistleblower… thanks for the insight. You can tell when the staffers are working the blogs on here. I’ve had the good fortune to have had the opportunity to be intimately involved with both major political parties. Which is why I proudly boast the NPA tag today.
The local Democrat Progressive apparatchiks are a hate-filled mess of a gaggle, and the local Republican Party is all but completely feckless and impotent.
That Mrs. Inman-Johnson is running for local office, has voluntarily entered into this public forum, … but refuses to answer straightforward and pertinent questions… is all I need to know to stay with Commissioner Richardson. I do not agree with his every position, but I have met him on several occasions. He’s a decent man willing to answer questions and engage in civil conversations about his positions and votes.
@ Edward Lyle,
Both Immanuel and Lieutenant are the same person: Max Herrle, the individual behind the recent smear campaign against the TPD officer in the DUI case. He is running DOT’s campaign alongside with his Eskimo brother, Ryan Ray.
@ Dot,
Curtis voted no because your irresponsible proposal made no sense financially. You and/or your spouses have a significant history of financial conflicts of interest. Rumor has it that you also had financial issues before leaving the Capital Area Community Action Agency.
@Max
Erwin Jackson should investigate why you took your girlfriend (Jack Porter) to see Scott Maddox.
Jeff Burlew reported on Sep 14th, 2020:
“In the days before Jack Porter scored victory in her first political outing – unseating a Tallahassee city commissioner in the process — she took an unusual meeting with a rather unexpected person.
Porter, whose campaign included promises to clean up City Hall, sat down to talk with Scott Maddox, who held the seat she won until his long political career ended in disgrace amid an FBI investigation into public corruption.”
If money is spent correctly we as tax payer wouldn’t have to pay so much out ,we have retired people, seniors that can’t eat ,cool there homes in summer or heat in winter.
Everything you’ll are doing is hurting low income, seniors etc
While your income keep increasing.
@ Immanuel… huh?… you feeling ok today? To paraphrase: Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to post and remove all doubt. Learn to admit you may be wrong. You’ll feel better about yourself, I promise.
@ Lieutenant… “they hate LEOs? I have never seen evidence of that.” is all I needed to read to know that you’re clearly disconnected or not paying attention. But thanks for your input anyway.
@ Ms. Inman-Johnson… still waiting on the answers to my legitimate and pertinent questions.
The residents of Leon County has already received a fire service fee increase and we DO NOT NEED ANOTHER ONE!! The commissioners should stop giving themselves raises they don’t deserve and learn to budget their money as Leon county’s taxpayers have have had to do. How much money do they think we have to keep paying these ridiculous taxes?
Oh, goody… we’ve some staffers working the posts today!
@ Immanuel enlightening…
1. Avoidence of the Defund the Police issues and subsequent actions that caused to shortfall in the first place. Both Matlow and Porter hate LEOs and there is more than enough public information to support that reality. Their no vote was two-fold… one; to toss a bone to their anti-LEO progressive crowd, and two, because the votes were there anyway, and they saw it as an opportunity to feign conservative in hopes of fooling some voters.
2. Does not refute my statement, but avoids the hypocrisy of you “threat to democracy” folks. So, citizens don’t deserve to vote on it because you think it was politically motivated… got it.
3. I have always and will always support the brave men and women who put their lives on the line every day to Serve and Protect. For progressives… you folks sure live in the past.
4. So… the initiative and its purpose isn’t important, just the vote and its political value. One might say you just proved my point.
@ Ms. Inman-Johnson… again, with respect…
You’ve voluntarily placed yourself here in the public forum. And this is not an accusation… it’s simply a straight-forward question(s)…
1. “Will you publicly pledge that if the Commissioner raise is approved by the voters, that you will pledge that increase amount – annually and in perpetuity respective to your term(s) – to the Tunnels to Towers Foundation?”
2. Will you align yourself, and thus your votes, with the two Progressives on the Board and their agenda… or the more traditional Democrats on the Board and their agenda?
I was not involved in financial scandals in Midway as the writer well knows. I was hired, with the blessing of DEO, to straightening out the mess the previous City Manager had caused. As for the other accusations, they are not worthy of my time or a response.
To Whistleblower:
The CRA proposal several years ago from our Safe Spaces for Kids non-profit Board is public record with the City of Tallahassee for anyone wishing to see the proposal for a Jobs and Job Training Incubator in the Town South Shopping Center for young people not college bound. Glad you correctly reported the NO vote by Curtis for a project that would have created needed opportunities for low-income at-risk youth on the Southside, and that was supported by the South City Foundation, the Dean of the FAMU School of Architecture, other small businesses in the Town South Center and others. There were several positive TV news stories about it, so it certainly was no secret. Maybe you should ask Curtis why he voted NO on a proposal that would have done so much good in helping solve the 20% poverty rate in Tallahassee, even after we offered to allow the South City Foundation to be the fiscal agent. We are proud of our church’s work to address poverty in our community. Curtis should be ashamed of doing nothing except bragging about moving to an upper income neighborhood on the Southside.
@ Immanuel…
1. The vote to increase property tax was based on the need to increase funding for more LEOs throughout our communities and replace funding that was reallocated to pretend LEOs who drive around in EVs… all because a career criminal and drug addict died of an overdose while in police custody. Personally, I would have preferred that we reallocate the funds back to real LEOs and shut down the pretend Progressive’s Placation Patrol.
2. The initiative to increase Commissioner salaries was the result of a CRC recommendation. Although I don’t support the increase, it was a CRC recommendation and the voters will have the final say… you know, that whole “Democracy” thingy you folks like to claim is threatened.
3. It appears your gal, Dot, has shown herself – like Pizza Boy and Porter – to be “All Hat, No Cattle” when it comes to their faux attempts to project conservative values and true commitment to our First Responders.
Like I always say; No matter how you arrange the letters D E M O C R A T… it will always spell HYPOCRITE.
Dot with a straight face asking the CRA for $1.5 million – $125k for “planning”, 700k for a “facility”, $300k more for “renovation”, $250k for a production studio, and $150k for “project management”.
All to “Loved by Jesus Church” which her grifting husband is the pastor. Both of them on flyers for Porter’s last election after which Porter voted for this.
She shows up now suggesting a general fund is a slush fund that others are mismanaging and the solution is to put her in control.
Know how Porter knows there’s corruption in City Hall? Because she has the receipt Dot gave her.
I propose a bridge to be built spanning Lake Iamonia East to West to relieve traffic on SR 12. The design should include a runway for airboats and a drawbridge for barges.
@ Immanuel… I already answered that question, to wit: “both Matlow and Porter voted against the tax increase and Commission raises initiative because they knew the votes were there to pass them anyway. Nothing more than a political move to feign conservative principles and mislead voters.”
@ Ms. Inman-Johnson… With respect…
1. There is no way the increase in firefighter pay does/will not impact the Fire Service Fee, and you know that.
2. Matlow and Porter voted against the tax increase and Commission raises initiative because they knew the votes were there to pass them anyway… and you know that too. You’re advocating for removing the tax-exempt status for churches?
You know exactly why certain so-called “churches” are not tax-exempt. If not, then you’re not as informed as I believe you are.
3. I have no problem with the increased cost of the Law Enforcement Operations Center. By the way, it’s not a “campus”. This isn’t college frat time mama… it’s life and limb on the line.
4. I’ll put the same challenge to you as I did Matlow. Who by the way exposed himself as a fraud by not committing or even responding… to wit: Will you publicly pledge that if the Commissioner raise is approved by the voters, that you will pledge that increase amount – annually and in perpetuity respective to your term(s)- to the Tunnels to Towers Foundation?
I’ll humble and respectfully await your response(s).
It’s good to see Dot here.
Could she clarify the $750,000 funding request made by her and her husband to the CRA for their personal venture? The word on the street is that she is running against Curtis because Curtis said NO to their request. If it is true, this raises significant questions about accountability, as seeking such a substantial sum without personal or bank financing into the project seems irresponsible.
Dot should also address financial troubles of the City of Midway during her tenure there, along with other financial scandals she has been involved in with the City of Tallahassee when she was a Commissioner.
Maybe, Tallahassee Reports could have written a story based on facts if they had bothered to interview me on a story about me. Since you didn’t, here’s my response.
I recommend that firefighters be paid from general operating just as police are, not from a fire service fee. They are both public safety employees and risk their lives every day to protect all of us. There would be plenty of money to pay them if Dailey, Cox, and Richardson would stop the City Manager’s wasteful spending of our tax dollars. Examples: Police campus development cost went from $40m to $135m with no opposition by any commissioners except Matlow and Porter, 3 new asst City managers at almost $250,000 each, giving many churches a free ride on the fire service fee, but not all churches, and forcing firefighters to cover the deficit with lower pay, and let us not forget that Richardson, Cox, and Dailey voted to increase their own pay by 100% while refusing to pay firefighters the 5% pay increase all other City employees received October 2023. There is much, much more.
Tallahassee Reports, if you are going to tell the story, please tell the whole story!
@ Edward Lyle = You are correct, that is why M&M is pushing hard for it, they know they stand to make $Millions, I am expecting Car Crashes to go up if this is passed. I will be voting NO on it but I suspect it will pass.
Why is my earlier reply not posted? Shall I call the Democrat instead? Need verification of my facts? Then reach out to me and I’ll happy to provide facts. 850-539-5389.
They would have more than enough money to pay the firefighters if they werent paying city managers car allowance cell phone allowance rainy day allowance xmas bonus allowance just cause you feel like it allowance.
@ Immanuel… both Matlow and Porter voted against the tax increase and Commission raises initiative because they knew the votes were there to pass them anyway. Nothing more than a political move to feign conservative principles and mislead voters. And Inman-Johnson has already stated publicly that she will be the third vote for the destructive Pro-Hamas Progressive agenda. Dot = Don’t for me and mine.
@ David… Morgan also supports he weed initiative because he and his family will make serious bank of the insurance lawsuits that come with it. What the media and politicians won’t tell you is that where weed has been given free reign, although it generates tax revenue, it also generates lawsuits as a result of increased slip-n-falls, pedestrian deaths, crime, and vehicle crashes… not to mention the negative impacts on tourism and the workforce quality and participation rate. Morgan and Morgan… For the Morgans.
@ Old Glory and Mary… correct of both points.
Leon county schools stopped paying fire service fee in 2020 and now owe over 6 million in past due fees. Half of all churches have been exempted from paying the fire service fee while many other churches pay thousands per year in fees. This inequity is the problem and has been perpetuated by our city manager and his three loyal supporters on the commission.
There are many ways to achieve firefighters having equal pay vs police without raising taxes. They could have given police and fire $60k without raising taxes.
The spending that threatens to raise taxes again is $135 milliion for a new police “campus”
If John Morgan gets his wish, you can heavily Tax Pot to pay for it. After Biden’s Press Conference the other night, they interviewed Morgan. He raised over $1,000,000 for Biden. When Biden loses, I wonder if he will ask for it back.
I propose we take the 100% raise Porter voted for herself and give it to Sparky…