Tallahassee Reports, through an analysis of budget documents, has discovered that the City staff knew about surpluses and overcharges as early as June of 2015 but did not inform City Commissioners.
The City Commissioners, in September 2015 voted for a $6.3 million property tax increase due to staff’s claims that new revenue was needed for essential services.
Documents show that in June 2015 the City staff provided the City Commission with an update of revenues and non-fuel expenditures for the electric utility fund. The numbers provided then are essentially the same numbers that now reflect a $7.3 million surplus. However, the City staff never informed the City Commissioners about the surplus.
How did this happen?
In June of 2015, City staff failed to compare the electric utility update with the original 2015 budget. If that had been done, the Commissioners would have seen the existence of the $7.3 million surplus. The same $7.3 million surplus that is now being revealed by City staff.
TR is continuing to investigate whether the City staff knew about the surpluses in the other funds.
BREAKING NEWS: City Staff Knew About Surpluses Before Vote On Property Tax Increase added by Staff on
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Things will never change in these city as long as college students continue to vote in bloc for the socialistic idealogues who control City Hall. These elected officials hire only those who are of the same ilk and thus propagate the downfall of true democracy
It really aggravates me personally. After living here since 1966, I’ve seen taxes continue to rise, and city services continue to recede. It makes no sense whatsoever. I’m sick and tired of the incompetence that is running wild with the city commissioners and all involved in the process. Someone needs to be blamed, and the tax increase dismissed.
Can we also discuss how the city and the mayor gave away OUR money to his campaign finance person for the restoration of city property. The rent on that refurbished building is 2k a month while the mayor’s “pal” makes a killing off of our tax money. I am sick of this corrupt town. Sean Pittman, Adam Corey, Andrew Gillum have all got to GO!
Someone should sue their tails for fraud. I’ll bet the discovery would be a severe embarrassment if one were to investigate the communications between these clowns. Sadly, it’s largely the general natural of government – it produces nothing and taking is how it sustains itself.
Someone has GOT to know a way to oust the boy prince and his sycophants from office before the next election(?). What is the procedure to do this?
It’s simple – GO OUT AND VOTE. Also, fine good individuals to run for office!
Exactly! Vote for leaders who understand that government, at every level, should be limited and in place only to serve the people. Convince others to vote. Research the candidates. More often than not, these elected officials are career politicians just looking o advance their own agendas and careers.
I have given up hope and holding out for change. My thoughts:
This withholding information about the City’s true financial conditions before a vote to increase taxes is fraud.
We need a new independent City Manager, not the lap dog they just promoted.
Maybe in the next election, we can get more than 15% of registered to vote.
Reducing Natural Gas price to consumers by only 3.7% is a joke when the wholesale price has dropped 30%.
By City staff, you really mean Anita Favors.
Of course the Commission voted to keep the tax increase because the Commissioners are larcenists. They didn’t volunteer to return their damned ill-gotten delayed compensation either.
Last night’s 4-1 City Commission vote not to rescind the tax increase is very telling. At last night’s meeting the Commission was made aware of the surplus and still voted to keep the tax increase. Even if they didn’t know before, they knew last night and still voted for a tax increase. This leads me to believe they were aware of the surplus all along, but kept the information away from the press and the voters. This isn’t the first time the City has decided to turn a profit through taxes and fees (see the garbage collection fee). We the citizens need to stand up and take our City back. The only real option prior to a regular election is to have them recalled. Enough is enough.
Disgusting.
I support a recall campaign against the confiscatory taxers.
The sooner, the better.
This is another fine example of incompetence. This makes the property owner pay for usage of utilities by all these apartments that rented by students.
thank you
$17 million or $7 million surplus…..different amounts in articles
$17 million is the total for all funds, $7 million is from the electric utility which is the largest fund.
It’s the democrat way y’all simple as that
Who told them to withhold that info?
It seems impossible to break the stranglehold the mayor and his cronies have had on the neck of Tallahassee for years. Before Gilliam it was Marks, but, they both had the same people pulling their strings.
So it was deliberate deception, not incompetence or stupidity. How can we tolerate this kind of government? Did the commissioners know or did they once again let staff lead them down the garden path?
Such incompetence! This falls on Senior City Staff.
Fire ’em all!
Yes