The COT press release on the 2012 budget reads: “No increase proposed for millage rate – City Manager Anita Favors Thompson today released the recommended $724.9 million fiscal year 2012 budget for review and action by the Tallahassee City Commission. The proposed amount is $2 million less than the current year budget and reflects feedback […]
Recently, the Citizens Advisory Committee for Utilities was becoming a lively bunch. The proposed increase in electric rates had put members of this newly reactivated board front and center. There meetings were even drawing attention from the print and broadcast media. A recent presentation to the group by the COT utility rate consultant, who calculated […]
When you were growing up didn’t you hate the kids that changed the rules of the game when they were losing? Usually those kids were the bullies and you had to accept it and move on! But as adults you would think we would have outgrown such behavior. Maybe we have, but somebody at the […]
A last minute addition to the City Commission agenda on June 22 was approved by a 5-0 vote and is raising serious questions from a number of people, including Mayor John Marks. The item which expanded the definition of a local business for the purpose of receiving an advantage in the procurement process seems to […]
On Tuesday, Superintendent Jackie Pons spoke to about 60 members and guests of the the Northeast Business Association. During his thirty minute talk he discussed the financial status of the Leon County School District, a new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) project that will save millions in transportation costs, and in response to a question from the […]
Tallahassee Reports has obtained a copy of the 140 page draft report of the electric rate case study that has been discussed over the last several months. The study is highly technical and full of detailed tables. Tallahassee Reports has reviewed the information, and what follows, is an attempt to take highly technical information and […]
It has been reported that the City of Tallahassee electric department has been in the midst of a “rate study” over the last several weeks. The purpose of this study is to determine if the COT needs to increase base electric rates, the non-fuel part of your electric bill, to cover operational expenses over the […]
Citizens empower elected officials when they defer their knowledge, wisdom and expertise to public servants, government staff and other special interest groups. Representative government is successful when the body represents the collective views of those that they stand for. But when one wavers by interjecting his or her own values and beliefs into the decisions […]
During 2011, the county commission will be taking another look at requiring more advanced septic tanks for southern Leon County. In my view, the proposal before the county commission to require performance based treatment systems (PBTS) probably is not what we need and it is certainly not what the property owners want. A performance based […]
“Perception is everything. If you commit a crime, you should pay a penalty—especially if you are a public servant.” State of Florida Senator Fasano said. The past few months we have read about controversy over elected officials making mistakes, or mistakes involving personal gains. Ethic’s issues of wrongdoings should be looked at with other actions […]