Commission Moves Proposed City Budget Forward
Steady Property Tax Rate
July 08, 2021
The City of Tallahassee's proposed balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) was presented to the City Commission at its workshop yesterday, July 7. Following the challenges of the past year, the budget discussion focused on strategic community impact and remaining an employer of choice.
To support community impact goals, Commissioners discussed funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP), of which the City received its first installment of $23.1 million on June 17. Per the allocation plan for this funding, approved by the Commission in May, $9.3 million will go toward affordable housing and human services. Additional recommendations from the proposed budget plan allocate $16.4 million in City recurring operating and grant funding for housing, human services and community programs.
In line with prior direction from the Commission, the proposed budget demonstrates intentional investment in employee excellence and continued commitment to promoting equity throughout the community. It includes a 4.5 percent pay raise for non-union, full-time employees, with a guaranteed minimum $2,500 salary increase for employees earning less than $55,555. This continued support for employees, coupled with a robust benefits package, differentiates the City from other organizations and proactively addresses market pressure in a competitive hiring landscape.
"City staff work tirelessly, ethically, collaboratively and with integrity every day to provide exceptional citizen services," City Manager Reese Goad said. "Investing in them - our greatest asset – and ensuring they can grow as part of our organization will allow us to continue providing the high-quality services residents expect."
The total proposed FY22 operating budget is $758.3 million. Of this total, the proposed General Fund budget is $171.2 million. The proposed FY22 capital budget totals $273 million. To guide the continued development of the FY22 budget, the City Commission voted to hold the property tax rate at 4.1000 mills, where it has been since FY17. Tallahassee maintains the lowest property rate among Florida's 25 most populous cities.
The City remains committed to a transparent budget process. Public hearings for the proposed FY22 budget will take place during the City Commission meetings scheduled for September 8 and September 22.
Information about the City's financials are available year-round through OpenGov and the City's online budget, both accessible through Talgov.com.
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