The Chair of the City of Tallahassee Ethics Board, Lila Jaber, asked the recently hired counsel to the Board, Mr. Gerald Currington, “whether the Ethics Board has the discretion to hire an Ethics Officer without advertising.” Noting that the current Ethics Officer was hired under City policies, Mr. Currington wrote “it is my opinion that […]
The recent debate over the proposed 23% property tax increase has overshadowed another double digit increase due to go into effect on October 1. The proposed property tax increase, if adopted, will bring in an additional $8 million annually, beginning October 1. The fire service fee, which is set to increase by 26.9%, will bring […]
Tallahassee Reports spoke with the City’s appointed Ethics Officer, Julie Meadows-Keefe, about the hiring of a law firm to serve as counsel to the Ethics Board that also does significant business with the City of Tallahassee. Tallahassee Reports wrote about the relationship here. Ms. Meadows-Keefe told Tallahassee Reports that she was aware of the relationship […]
The local budget debate, over the proposed property tax increase, has taken many twist and turns and final approval is still more than a month away. The recent 3-2 vote to tentatively approve a 23% increase in property taxes leaves the door open for more debate. The City has gone to great lengths to justify […]
At the July meeting of the City’s Ethics Board, the General Counsel position was filled by a lawyer who is employed by a law firm that has been awarded contracts by the City Commission totaling approximately $800,000. The action, initiated by Chair Lila Jaber, is raising questions about the independence of the Board, which was established […]
Tallahassee Reports recently posted a story on the 21% increase in spending requested by Mayor Gillum’s office in the proposed 2016 City of Tallahassee budget. The full story, with video from the budget workshop where City Commissioner Scott Maddox asked about the increase, can be seen here. Now we have more details about the increase. Tallahassee Reports […]
Tallahassee Reports has learned that Mayor Andrew Gillum is seeking a 21% increase in the Mayor’s office budget in 2016.The increase would be funded through a portion of the proposed property tax increase. A review of the budget shows that in 2015 the Mayor’s office, when you remove the City’s lobbying contract which is a pass […]
In an exclusive interview with Tallahassee Reports, Steven Slade, the President of the Big Bend Chapter of the Florida PBA, voiced his frustration with City officials and their portrayal of the property tax increase in the local media. On Sunday the Tallahassee Democrat published an editorial asking the City to reconsider the proposed property tax […]
It is time to get real! Yesterday at the City Budget workshop , Commissioner Nancy Miller made an impassioned plea for a 27% increase in property taxes- her rationale: it is not much money when compared to the money shes pays for comcast cable. She said “we are fighting over $10 per month for many […]
When City Manager Anita Favors released her proposed budget last month for FY 2016, which includes a 27% increase in property taxes, her press release called the proposal a “public safety budget.” The press release detailed the increase in positions for public safety and also mentioned the $500,000 allocated for street resurfacing. However, one item […]