After over 4 hours of citizen comment, elected official debate and legal wrangling, the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency (IA) voted 7-5 to approve the process to obtain financing for projects totaling up to $115.8.
The projects include the $20 million project to update Doak Campbell Stadium.
Before the much anticipated vote, but after the motion on the bond issuance, Leon County Commissioner Rick Minor attempted to make a motion to strip the FSU project from the list of projects.
However, his motion was rule out order and disallowed.
Next, Leon County Commissioner Dozier informed her colleagues that she would attempt to strip the FSU project from the bond issuance at the next Blueprint IA meeting on February 24, 2022.
After a legal explanation of Dozier’s procedural move, the IA took up debate on the bond issuance motion. After debate the motion was approved 7-5.
The seven yes votes included, Leon County Commissioners Nick Maddox, Bill Proctor, Jimbo Jackson, and Carolyn Cummings, Mayor John Dailey, and City Commissioners Curtis Richardson and Dianne Williams-Cox.
Those voting no included, Leon County Commissioners Rick Minor, Kristen Dozier, and Brian Welch and City Commissioners Jack Porter and Jeremy Matlow.
The FSU project was debated and passed 8-4 during the last Blueprint IA meeting in September.
However, Rick Minor, just before the meeting today, released a statement saying it would not support the bond issuance with the FSU project included.
Given the final 7-5 vote, Dozier’s proposed February motion to remove the FSU project will need to garner two more no votes to be successful.
Leon County Blueprint IA Approves $115.8 Million Bond Issuance, FSU Project added by Staff on
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Looks like recruiting is already taking a big hit. Wonder if it has anything to do with the FSU AD asking us for $20M for toilets and urinals and reducing capacity at Doak?
The FSU endowment is 995 million.
The FAMU endowment is 95 million.
We’re talking about how it’s okay to give FSU 20 million because we have FAM 10.
Y’all should be ashamed of yourselves.
Best wishes.
@ FBI snitch – we wish you would too.
You pay for it then. The purpose of govt is not economics. It’s security and Liberty. Spend 20 mil on police salaries.
If not for FSU ,Tallahassee would be Bonifay with less charm..20 Million is a drop in the bucket for the economic impact that FSU provides to this city..See how many Tallahassee Businesses would fold if FSU started playing it’s Home Games in JAX or Orlando..Honestly this feels like overt racism against the white school FSU..Where we’re all the complainers like The NAACP when FAMU and TCC got their funds with nary a complaint?..I’m kind of in the middle on this issue as I don’t like the fund being tapped out for the next 7 years but I’m also annoyed these funds only seem to fund liberals and their pet causes..I’m tired of seeing Killearn and the northern burbs funding the rest of the city..Wish we would pull a Buckhead and break away from Tally and form our own city but that argument is for another day
@ Snidely… Actually, the FAMU deal was even worse. They got $10-million for general maintenance and upkeep – which was/is completely inconsistent with the purpose and intended use of the funds. My issue with the FSU $20-mil was the capping out of the city’s bond capability by ponying up the whole 20.
I don’t dismiss the economic value of the universities, but it is an inconsistent and transient economic foundation. What Tallahassee/Leon needs are full-time, well-paying, professional and career employment industries – and – a strong infusion of permanent resident retirees that spend their money locally. What hampers that goal most is a city and county government structure that is dominated by left-wing progressives and their wacked-out agenda.
@ Snidley: You said = “Why is that happening with FSU when there was hardly any opposition to TCC & FAMU getting there portion of local government support?”
When this $20 Million came it, I remember it being for needed Repairs to the Stadium. I used to drive by the Stadium every day for over 20 Years until a few years ago and I remember that place always being under construction for something. Why wasn’t those needed repairs taken care of as needed during the Construction that was already going on? My question was, why was it not done then when it could be paid for as it was being done instead of letting it all build up to now cost $20 Million Dollars in one hit?
My questions NOW are: Does it all need to be done right now or can it be done in stages so as not to totally drain that Account in one hit?
Can any of those repairs be included with other Remodels to be paid out of those Accounts?
Don’t get me wrong, I like FSU Football and I know the City and County pays for things at the Stadium, it’s just how it all plays out that bothers me. Why didn’t the City & County know about the problems before it got this bad because $20 Million Dollars worth of repairs is extremely BAD? Who does the Inspections of the Stadium and reports any issues and to who gets those reports?
None of the publicly funded universities and colleges should be allowed to even file an application for any money.
Famu issues are that it is an historical corrupt/ criminal organization that has been stealing tax payer funds for years to supplement grinds families and staff.
It should have been closed and disappeared 10 years ago when we had the proof.
OK I’m not totally down with all the facts, issues, rumors, feelings, ect…swirling around the TCC, FAMU, FSU financial support our local government provides to our local institutions of higher learning.
But there is no doubt our local governments and citizens benifit immensely from having the 3 universities located here. How would you feel if one of them decided to relocate to a neighboring county for tax benefits or other reasons?
So from the POV of kind of an outsider looking in on this subject there seems to be, (not from our gentle commenters here on TR ), but in the communitty as a whole a seemingly bigoted attitude on display by their non opposition to the support provided to TCC and FAMU but then when the largest university FSU’s turn comes up there is vocal opposition crawling out from under the rocks. Why is that happening with FSU when there was hardly any opposition to TCC & FAMU getting there portion of local government support? Maybe its some sort of woke leftist sentiment I just dont understand. But it feels like it may have its roots in leftist racist philosophy since leftists are the most racist opportunistic bigoted people on the planet.
@ Hope… excellent post; well said.
All it take is one person to challenge the claim that FSU brings $3-billion of economic impact annually to the city. Simply demand empirical data that proves that claim. Tax dollars should NEVER be spent on an assumption of a return on the investment.
The first question should always be, “What’s in it for the taxpayer?… followed by, “Prove it”
Coburn wrote in the Democrat that “it’s hard to get alumni to donate for facilities” he demanded the taxpayer pay for the building and let the Alumni pay for all the “luxury items”. He said FSU makes a 3 billion dollar contribution to our economy so he doesn’t feel like they (FSU) should pay for the stadium.
I’m fine with FSU only contributing 2.98 billion to lil ole Tallahassee, and for FSU to pay for the 20 million in Stadium improvements for their athletic program by themselves!
I’m an FSU Alumni and I am starting to hate my own school as much as I hate the Leon county/ city of Tallahassee commissions! Trust me, that’s a lotta hate…
WHY were these repair items neglected and allowed to pile up without being taken care of? If our Tax Dollars have to be used to pay for Repairs that should have been done already, maybe the People should write up the Contracts for the Coaches. No BUY OUTS, you don’t Win, you are Fined, you don’t get us a Bowl Game you’re FIRED.
Williams-Cox, Maddox, and Dailey just dug their graves. Dailey making a rigged motion and then not speaking on the item? What a joke. David Bellamy is another Maddox-supported swamp creature who would bring more of the same, backed by the same corrupt interests we saw narrowly win the day here to profligately waste our tax dollars.
Grateful for Welch’s leadership in the Northeast letting the record show that Killearn does not support the crooked status quo.
FYI – Welch originally proposed $15 million instead of $20 million so that there would be $5 million left for other projects that might come along. His motion failed at the September IA meeting.
So the FSU football program is currently paying 2 FORMER coaches a total of $4.5 million per year until 2025, due to poor hiring/firing decisions. Tell me again why taxpayers should be on the hook for stadium upgrades for a team that hasn’t had a winning season since 2017. I’ll wait…
Jimbo Jackson (not Johnson)
Got it. Thanks.
Question…..How many INTERNATIONAL passengers has Tallahassee International Airport had in the last 3 years?…..customs can come up from Orlando…if needed
I suspect that this is only the beginning. In 20 years, I hope citizens of Leon County don’t wake up to discover their infrastructure funds have been squandered.
Tell me again why the stadium isn’t receiving funding from private donors, State funding, federal grants?
Taxpayers work hard to pay their taxes so they can receive quality of life civil enhancements, paved roads, storm water, safe environment, sidewalks, roads, schools, law enforcement, health clinics etc…
Seven commissioners aren’t representing the taxpayers who they took an oath to serve. Who will be the two Commissioners who will find humanity in their souls and do the right thing and change their votes?