During the May 8th Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency (IA) budget workshop, elected officials approved a plan to fund an air service incentive proposal. The IA voted 10-2 to approve a plan via an expedited process that would cost $670,000 per year.
Leon County Commissioners Christian Caban and Bill Proctor voted against the item. Caban stated that he supported the air service incentive plan but did not support comingling the issue with affordable housing.
The approved motion, provided by Leon County Commissioner Nick Maddox, also included a Maddox amendment allocating $250,000 annually to an affordable housing incentive project. The details of the affordable housing incentive are due to be presented at a later date.
The comingling of the air service incentive with Maddox’s affordable housing amendment frustrated IA Chair, City Commissioner Dianne Wiliams-Cox.
However, the air service incentive proposal garnered widespread support among a Board that is normally split on spending proposals. During the debate, officials noted that the proposal was a “no brainer”, recognized that other communities were using the approach and that the use of incentives was supported by Democrats and Republicans.
The proposal comes after public criticism of high fares and the loss of JetBlue service at the Tallahassee airport.
The proposal includes new economic development funding request of $670,000 per year from the Incentives, Grants and Programs master project, for TLH air service development incentives and related air service capacity-related improvements. The cost of the program would be $3,350,000 over the five-year planning period and $10 million over the life of the Blueprint 2020 sales tax.
Typically, project funding requests are presented to the Blueprint IA Board as separate agenda items for consideration. However, due to the time-sensitive nature of this project, the Office of Economic Vitality requested that consideration of the funding proposal be included as part of the Proposed Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget and 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan. This approach enables the IA Board to consider a budget amendment for the current fiscal year.
A consultant hired by the Tallahassee projects the incentive program would enhance, expand and improve air service in Tallahassee. Also, an analysis indicates the return on investment (ROI) would be approximately $1.1 billion in economic impact, with a corresponding 1,158 jobs created.
Blueprint Approves Air Service, Affordable Housing Incentive Plans added by Steve Stewart on
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Name of consultant, past experience and cost to taxpayers, please.
@ Dennis Barton = Yeah, that’s about right. The problem is, They want to spend our Taxes like we are Jacksonville, Miami, Atlanta BUT, they don’t want us to GROW to be like Jacksonville, Miami, Atlanta. The Airport has been under Construction for the past 40 Years with no end in sight, look at the Drawings for the new Police Station, It was supposed to be an $8Million Project but they spent $6Million on the Property and NOW it is a $140,000,000 Project. Look at the Drawings for that new City Bus Transfer Station on Orange Ave. it is 25 times fancier than the Main one Down Town. Go to the What-A-Burger on Thomasville Rd. and stand in the Road between them and the Board Of Realtors and just look around. That itty bitty Road was dug up, New Road Bed, Drainage and Gas Lines put in, Sidewalk, fancy Brick Retainer Wall with Seating, GAS Street Lights, Brick Pattern stamped into the Road for 3/4’s of the Road and Painted it, Special Signage pointing to Businesses and Locations, Parking beside What-A-Burger that has 8 Gang Plug Outlets at every other Parking Space, Water Fountains, plus more. No one knows WHY they did all that to that one short Side Street. Don’t forget about the Two Year project they want to do to Thomasville Road in that same area that NO ONE wants, but they will most likely do it anyway.
So, let me see if I understand this…Working and retired property owners in Leon County who have no need or wish to fly out of Tallahassee will subsidize airlines in a plan that has not worked in the past to fly lawyers, lobbyist and state employees to and from town on the basis of an economic impact and jobs creation estimate that may or may not benefit working and retired property owners footing the bill? Is that about right? When is the next election?
Of course they did, its not their money.
Once the mayor passes the bill, daily spends will be $1,835.62 so they should pass a one-cent sales tax.
Hey TR, will you do a In-Depth Story on all the Fee’s the City charges for Landing a Jet at the Airport? The Democrat did one Years Ago and I couldn’t believe all the Fee’s they charged and the amount. The Airlines just passed that cost onto the Customers through the Ticket Price.
Another reason to eliminate property taxes