Evening Session — September 8, 2026 FINAL
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Charlie Miranda
5:08:16PM Here.
Guido Maniscalco
5:08:18PM Here.
Lynn Hurtak
5:08:19PM Here.
Naya Young
5:08:20PM Here.
Luis Viera
5:08:20PM Here.
Bill Carlson
5:08:21PM Here.
Alan Clendenin
5:08:22PM Here.
The clerk
5:08:23PM We have a physical quorum.
Alan Clendenin
5:08:27PM Thank you so much. I'd like a motion to open the public hearings for consideration of the tentative FY 2027 millage rate, FY 2027 budget, and FY 2027 through FY 2031 capital improvement budget and the program for the City of Tampa agenda items 1 and 2. I have a motion from Councilman Viera. A second from Councilman Maniscalco. All those in favor say aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Will the finance chair please read the first public hearing statement?
Charlie Miranda
5:08:57PM Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Motion to open the public hearing for consideration of tentative 2027 millage rate -- I read the wrong one. First public hearing, this is the first public hearing for the City of Tampa 2027 budget. The proposed millage rate is 6.2076 mills, 2.30% more than the rolled back millage rate of 6.6080 mills. Property tax funds are used to support the General Fund operating budget and the community Redevelopment agency funds of the city. The general funds include such department as fire rescue and police, human resources, Parks and Recreation.
Alan Clendenin
5:09:39PM Councilman Miranda, would you please restate the millage rates. The line that starts with the proposed millage rate is -- and then read that to get to the last.
Charlie Miranda
5:09:50PM Proposed millage rate is 6.2076 mills, which is 2.30 percent more than the roll back millage rate of 6.0680 mills.
Alan Clendenin
5:10:01PM Thank you so much. Very good. First, I would like to recognize the representative from our budget and finance committee, Mr. Prindle. Please proceed with your presentation. Start with your name, please. My name is hoyt prindle. I am chairman Clendenin's appointee to your budget and finance citizens advisory committee. I can speak for the entire committee, it is an honor and privilege for all of us to serve and come to you to make recommendations. The only recommendation we have for you today is like many of you, there are concerns about the effects of amendment 3 and if passed what it would do to the city's budget and finances. Therefore, by a vote of 4-2, the budget and finance citizens advisory committee recommends to you that for all non-cba employees making more than $100,000 a year, that you defer any automatic cost of living or merit increases beyond the October 1st general time when that occurs until after such time that the council is aware of the outcome of the amendment 3 vote. Unless there are any questions, that's all I have for you.
5:11:16PM Does council have any questions of the budget and finance committee? Hearing none, Dennis Rogero. Mr. Rogero is not here. Mr. Perry.
Charlie Miranda
5:11:25PM I don't have a question. I have a statement. Do you know what that saves, Mr. Prindle, how much money is in the savings? If it is a downfall, I forget, is it the finance folks here? At the time we voted we did not --
5:11:46PM That's what I want for the record.
Alan Clendenin
5:11:48PM Mr. Perry, would you like to answer that before you do your presentation?
Michael Perry
5:11:52PM Mike Perry, deputy CFO. My staff I'm pretty sure is looking that information up right now.
Alan Clendenin
5:11:59PM Why don't we defer the answer to the question until later.
Luis Viera
5:12:06PM One thing, because I do think that is a very wise suggestion. If I may, just in case, if we wish to maybe, if you can, like over 150,000 as well, just so we can know that if there's some -- I don't know how council feels about that. That's all.
Alan Clendenin
5:12:21PM We have one representative from the budget and finance committee meeting. We have public comment coming up shortly. $431,000 in savings.
5:12:35PM I'm sorry. I would defer that to public comment. Anybody have questions for Mr. Prindle? Hearing none, Mr. Perry, would you like to present your presentation?
Michael Perry
5:12:49PM May I have the presentation up, please? Good evening, council. Mike Perry, deputy chief financial officer. I apologize for Dennis, but he's not feeling well today. I'm sure he will be back here for the second public hearing. So all these slides you are very familiar with because they are in Dennis' presentation on the budget on July 30, 2027. The recommended net budget is $2.039 billion. That is an increase of $47.4 million or 2.9 percent increase over the 2027 budget. You see the largest funds we have in the city. Starting on your right, the enterprise funds, which consist of water, wastewater, Solid Waste, parking, and the golf courses is the largest fund group that we have at $866.6 million. Of course, with the adoption of the rate increase in the pipes program in 2019, they made a major investment in the water and wastewater infrastructure. Additionally, you have capital projects for the Solid Waste Department. The next largest group is $731 million with the General Fund, and that consists of departments such as police, is Fire Department, parks and rec, Revenue and Finance. And it also includes about half a million dollars from an election coming up this spring. Then you have special revenue funds, which includes items such as transportation, operating fund, the stormwater service funds, the various tree trust funds and various grant funds. The trust and agency fund is primarily the community redevelopment agencies. The internal service funds are those internal funds that support the city, primarily the risk funds. And fleet. I apologize. And, of course, debt service funds of $60 million, this is only the general government component of the debt. The debt component for water, wastewater, and Solid Waste are within their respective departments and the enterprise funds. General Fund expenditures, you see public safety making the largest contribution or expenditure within the General Fund at $446.6 million. Followed by general government, again, includes Revenue and Finance, includes human resources and purchasing and other essential services departments. There you see parks and rec and then public works rounding that up. Then you see the enterprise departments on the right. Again, wastewater, water, Solid Waste, parking, and, of course, the golf courses. We've shown this slide for about the last 10 years. It illustrates that the total property tax projected to be collected of $431.9 million is insufficient to fund the total Police Department and the -- I'm sorry. I got that wrong. Total fire and police is 431. Property tax $397.1 million. Property taxes do not fully fund police and fire, along with the CRA. Here we show the fund balance. This year, because of the unknown, we don't know what's going to happen with amendment 3. We chose not to fund all the requirements. A lot of the capital projects. And that's because we want to remain liquidity as we go forward. We just don't know. For those of us here at the budget office in 2010, 11, 12, 13, that liquidity we had coming out of the 2011 budget allowed us to maintain at least a semblance of services. We still had to reduce staff and reduce levels of services. But as Mr. Carlson would say, we went from about $140 million down to the $90 million, having to be required to need that liquidity to maintain base operation for the city. We chose to go with a higher fund balance and again, depending on what happens with amendment 3, if it does not pass, then those funds will be available to be amended to the 2027 budget. If it does pass, then we have a big question on whether or not we spend that money or remain liquidity. Speaking of the recession, you've seen this chart in the past. In 2007, we had 5,048 positions. During the recession, we lost a combination of spaces and faces of the 714 spaces. About half of them actually had employees who were laid off. I know myself when I was in the Water department, I was the only one who really survived out of the Water department fiscal and admin section. So this year we saw a position increase. Since 2007 to right now, we have a net increase of six positions, from 2007, we are plus 6 to where we are now. So it's taken us 20 years to recuperate or get back to where we were in 2007. The water position added one, and we see construction services decreased and parking decreased positions. Personnel population. You've seen this chart. I do want to point out that the blue is Tampa, and you can see that our population ratio is very favorable to our peer groups. Again, one of the things we've maintained here is a consistent peer group over time as opposed to going with one city and then another city. At least you can see how we maintained ourselves over time. Again, the millage rate, City of Tampa is in the blue on the left. Again, our millage rate is low compared to our comparable cities. Capital improvement program. We're looking at $1.1 billion over the next five years. You can see the biggest one as you would expect is wastewater with the items they are doing out at the plant and then the Water department at $103 million. And then it sort of curtails going back to the community Redevelopment agency. As a reminder, we have the fiscal transparency act that was signed by the Governor This past spring. It provides additional requirements for us to increase the millage over the rolled-back rate. If we want to adopt the rolled-back rate, it's simple majority, four votes affirmative. If we want up to 110%, we need two-thirds vote, which is five votes, to approve the rolled-back rate. And I do believe you say we are about 2% of the roll back rate, correct, Mr. Miranda? We want to exceed the roll back rate, then all of you, all seven members of council has to approve that. For the fiscal year 2027 budget, proposed millage rate is 2.3% higher than the roll back rate which requires five affirmative votes to adopt the millage rate. We meet again here in two weeks on September 22 at 5:01 p.m. for the second public hearing. And with that, you can find the budget at tampa.gov/budget. With that, do you have any questions?
Guido Maniscalco
5:21:42PM In anticipation of the outcome of amendment 3, how much money should it pass we lose in the first year?
Michael Perry
5:21:48PM First year is fiscal year '28. So it does not affect fiscal year 2027 budget. We're looking at about 35 to $40 million the first year.
Guido Maniscalco
5:21:59PM What about the second year?
Michael Perry
5:22:01PM About 60 to $65 million. That is the reduced taxes we expect to get in.
Guido Maniscalco
5:22:07PM You had mentioned going back almost 20 years. I know there was significant layoffs, you said 714. Will we get to that point again? You're talking about in two years we lose close to a hundred million dollars. I don't know how much --
Michael Perry
5:22:29PM No, it's net -- it's gross $70 million by fiscal year '29.
Guido Maniscalco
5:22:35PM Do you think we'll get to a point of having to lay off staff or before that happens we would look at a millage increase or offsetting the losses? We can only defer so much. But how do we weather the storm? Should amendment 3 pass.
Michael Perry
5:22:52PM There are a lot of other things. Obviously, looking at the level of service that we provide. We may accept a lower level of service. I will tell you that during the recession, we maintained public safety, uniformed officers maintained at the same level. John, I believe TPD reduced admin staff. Again, we followed what bonnie Weiss did for the 2011 on the capital improvement program, following her game plan back then. Then it's going to be a combination now, and this is where some of the people who are arguing against the amendment is. Well, now we're going to have to start exploring the use of non-ad valorem assessments. Something very similar to stormwater. Right now, we don't charge a non-ad valorem assessment for parks. Maybe we'll have to do something. All those items will be explored. What makes this very unique for the City of Tampa is we have one administration going to set the table for the new council and the new mayor, whoever that person comes on in. So we really need to set the table for success going to 2028.
Guido Maniscalco
5:24:12PM Okay. The last thing I want to see is going back to like what the iorio administration had to go through and the amount -- and it was different, because it was a housing crisis, communication services tax. We've seen a tremendous decline. That is a huge amount of money. But the last thing that I would want to see is having to lay off people. It's their livelihoods. It's their jobs and everything. The dangers of amendment 3, because it is a significant hit here at the city and even worse at the county. You can only balance it so much and defer so much before you have to start making terrible decisions. Like you said, we're setting the table for the next council and the next mayoral administration to be prepared to have somewhat of a safety net, because it's not fiscal year '27. There's still time. There is a buffer. But a lot of what we don't know.
Michael Perry
5:25:10PM The other thing is we'll have to obviously tap into the fund balance.
Guido Maniscalco
5:25:15PM Thank you very much.
Alan Clendenin
5:25:17PM Councilwoman Hurtak.
Lynn Hurtak
5:25:17PM Thank you. Ms. Scharf, if you're available, I need you. First of all, I'm going to pass this off. Everybody has some copies. There are four so that, marty, you can give one to the clerk as well. They are together. So take the two off the top and then go to the -- yeah. Ms. Scharf, if you'll put that on the screen. My opening salvo to this is the fact that in the city's charter, which we have a couple of people here were on the city's Charter Review Commission. Thank you for your service. No money may be disbursed from the city treasury except in pursuance of appropriations made by City Council. The council is authorized to make such changes in said budget as it deems necessary for the property and economical operation of the municipal government. What I just handed you and what members of the public have today are the deferral list that the administration wants to defer. We cannot pass this budget and have a handshake agreement that if proposition 3 doesn't pass that the Mayor Will add the deferred list back to the budget. We have all been there before. We should pass the budget that responsibly spends the funds we are expected to receive if revenues do decrease due to prop 3 or any reason, we can use this list to ask the administration for a revised budget, hear the community and cut spending at that time. I am not at all comfortable with allowing this administration to have that much money sitting aside. I know you have a different view on it. But I really think if we work together looking at these, as how we want to spend the money, I really believe that we should simply fund this budget using these deferrals, put them back where they belong, and then if amendment 3 passes, we can rescind them. But we cannot in good conscience derail the capital improvement projects for fire rescue. We can't defer parks issues. We cannot defer any of this. What this says is that we may never get it back because even though you pass a rule that says the first 10 million must be spent on paving, this administration doesn't have to do that, and they have proven time and time again that they won't. Thank you.
Bill Carlson
5:27:49PM Just a comment on that. I agree with my colleague on that. We have seen cases where this year there was an overage and administration decided to spend the money. I don't remember exact numbers. But if it was 25 million more they said, oh, well, we only spent 23 million extra, but there's 2 million left that you all can spend. But they should have asked the public and asked us how to spend all 25 million of it. I agree with that. I don't know how they got away with that through the charter by not notifying us in the public on it. Not enough just to ask us to approve an expenditure. They need to tell us where it's coming from. Anyway, if that is a motion, I'll support that later. Mr. Perry, could you pull up page 3, please?
Michael Perry
5:28:36PM Could we go back to the presentation, please?
Bill Carlson
5:28:39PM There is a lot of hand-wringing in the community about amendment 3. I know the answer to this. I think we all know the answer. Could you just explain to the public, overall budget, from all of our sources of funding, go back one, page 3, so from all of our sources of funding, could you tell us where the impact is going to be on amendment 3? Where would amendment 3 directly impact?
Michael Perry
5:29:05PM Impact on amendment 3 will be in that green area where it says General Fund. All the other places, generally all the other places of the budget, will remain neutral except for you have a fund that relies on operating assistance from the General Fund such as the Stormwater Service Assessment Fund, and they rely on assistance for capital improvement program, which is in the C.I.P. Fund, which is where the transportation capital project is, and that's where we also fund for capital improvements on the city's facilities.
Bill Carlson
5:29:42PM 40 million and then 70 million, that would be coming out of what is now 371 million.
Michael Perry
5:29:49PM Correct.
Bill Carlson
5:29:50PM Can you skip ahead a couple of slides to I think slide 5? This shows all the property taxes. So primarily it would be coming out of this, right?
Michael Perry
5:29:59PM Correct. The property taxes, assuming that we have no growth in the taxable value, which we know. The same way the property taxes would probably be about $360 million.
Bill Carlson
5:30:14PM [Inaudible] it's a lie that it's going to pull from police and fire.
Alan Clendenin
5:30:19PM Councilman Carlson, too many mikes are activated.
Bill Carlson
5:30:24PM The CFO of the State of Florida has said multiple time that it is a lie, local governments say it will come out of police and fire, except it literally will come out of police and fire. Police side we're required by state law to replenish it.
Michael Perry
5:30:43PM There was a requirement put in by the desantis administration that you had to sustain the police -- I think public safety or the police --
Lynn Hurtak
5:30:51PM 2024, police only. Police only 2024 levels.
Michael Perry
5:30:57PM At the same levels the prior year. If it went below a certain level -- or 90%. It was 90% of the prior year funding.
Bill Carlson
5:31:05PM Anyway, what will happen is it will directly affect police and fire, and then we'll have to pull from other sources. It's going to be a tough slog if that happens. But on this, on this page, is it possible, is it possible that on the line item on the property taxes that we could put a line item and call it the police and fire fund or the public safety fund instead of whatever is on there now?
Michael Perry
5:31:33PM The trim notice in the tax bill? That's up to the property appraiser and the tax collector. I do not believe so.
Bill Carlson
5:31:41PM If we pass a motion to request that they put it that way, could we do that?
Michael Perry
5:31:47PM Again, I don't think the property appraiser or the tax collector will do that. We'll always be happy to ask, but I'm pretty sure the answer would be no.
Bill Carlson
5:31:58PM I'll check with the lawyers on that. They are just a pass -- anyway, I don't expect you to be an attorney. Page 6, the next slide, please.
Michael Perry
5:32:15PM Bring the presentation back up?
Bill Carlson
5:32:16PM Yeah. I've said this before, in case anybody watching for the first time, as you mentioned, we were down to like 83 million years ago. Now we're back up to 150 plus million. It looks like even more, 180 million.
Michael Perry
5:32:32PM I think about 180, sir.
Bill Carlson
5:32:34PM Yeah, but the point is now the expectation is that the bond market expect to have 23%. I think Dennis said before. Extra 2% might be something we could put back in. Just so everybody knows, we can't go below 23% or bond ratings go down or interest rates go up.
Michael Perry
5:32:55PM It would be admirable to maintain the 23%. But the rating agencies and for those who are watching from home, fitch, moody's and standard & poor's. We just went through a rating with fitch, and they specifically asked questions about what they anticipated -- what the anticipated impact of amendment 3 will be, so they know what the numbers were. We also told them what our initial plan was. The initial plan was not funding everything, increasing the fund balance to 25, and what we did is we eliminated from the C.I.P. The majority of the projects that were relying on future debt.
Bill Carlson
5:33:45PM Lay in my recommendation is we not go below 23%. Ask one other quick question. Page 7 has staff numbers from 2007 --
Alan Clendenin
5:33:56PM Wait for the second round. Your time is up.
Michael Perry
5:34:02PM If I may respond. Went to committee last week and reaffirmed our current ratings. The key here is we need to make sure we have a plan and we execute the plan. They don't want us to go willy-nilly. Again, this is the plan, entering into the amendment 3, post-amendment 3 and hopefully it doesn't pass, but if it does, we'll have to readjust.
Alan Clendenin
5:34:27PM Councilman Viera, Councilwoman Young and followed by Councilman Miranda.
Luis Viera
5:34:31PM Councilwoman Hurtak, I want to get your idea straight, if I may. You're saying to go ahead and fund now the projects that would be prospectively cut if amendment 3 passes. If it doesn't pass, then this body would go and make the painful cuts, correct?
Lynn Hurtak
5:34:48PM If it does pass we would make the painful cuts. I think we can use what the administration outlined, but I'm just saying that specifically if you want to talk about the capital improvement project for police and fire, it's gone. They are zero. What they did is just shifted it to the next year, which if this passes, we're not going to be able to do it in the next year either. I really believe that we need to approve it the way it is. If it requires creating new line items that say hold or something, whatever we need to do. But I really believe because we are not going to get a second bite at the apple. We just aren't. In the past we just haven't had that luck.
Luis Viera
5:35:36PM I appreciate that. I would be sympathetic to the idea only -- I know there's, what have you, things on the administration, this, that. My issue isn't that. It's that we keep control of it. Not adverse to anybody. I think it is a reasonable thing to do. With the information I have, certainly something I could be sympathetic to and whatnot. You talk about this roll back rate law that the governor signed. Just a terrible, terrible, terrible law that puts us in a position of appearing to raise taxes when we're not raising taxes. Having to have a unanimous legislative body vote if you do want to, in fact, raise taxes. It takes away power from local government on things that are reasonable. We're not out here turning Tampa into portland, okay. If people ever -- if we ever raise taxes, I voted to raise taxes in 2017. I confess, arrest me. But we did it for parks. We did it for police. We did it for fire station 23. Wasn't any of this radical stuff. All the stupid coming out of tallahassee is just that. It handcuffs us in very reasonable ways. The idea, though, whether or not amendment 3 passes, I don't think it's going to pass. 60% is a very high threshold, especially without the proper accommodations for fire and very weak ones I think for police and law enforcement is that something is coming. Something is coming. I think most floridians agree that doubling the exemption to hundred thousand dollars over three years with proper exemptions for public schools and for public safety is something that makes sense and is reasonable. But this $250,000 business we're talking about I think will ultimately be voted down by voters, but we can't assume that. If it does, it's going to be draconian. This alternative reality that we see on social media and that's being promoted by people backing amendment 3 saying, oh, it's not going to touch police and fire. Yes, it will. And I thank goodness that our police unions and fire unions and a lot of our sheriffs are speaking out on this because that's very, very important. And think about the turn-away that we've had in the State of Florida and Hillsborough county. 2018, about 57% of voters in Hillsborough county supported all for transportation. New Tampa supported it with almost 60%. Suburbs going raise my taxes because my mobility options suck this bad. We wanted to raise our taxes. 2022, even though got struck down in the circuit court, even with that, it almost passed. A year when protransit candidates did very poorly. That almost passed. The will of the voters I believe is always with this, but take a look at how our state officials are stopping us from doing the will of people on those issues. It's just such a huge u-turn in the State of Florida that it's soul crushing. It really, really is. My rant. I'm done. Thank you.
Alan Clendenin
5:38:43PM On behalf of Tampa City Council, we apologize to portland, Oregon.
Lynn Hurtak
5:38:49PM Yeah, what's wrong with portland?
Luis Viera
5:38:53PM Through the eyes of tallahassee.
Alan Clendenin
5:38:54PM Councilman Viera, we're lucky you'll be in tallahassee. You'll fix this when you get up there. Councilwoman Young, followed by Councilman Miranda.
Naya Young
5:39:06PM Mr. Perry, you had given some numbers to Councilman Maniscalco. He was asking if amendment 3 passed and you said this would take in effect for FY '28. You said how much we would lose?
Michael Perry
5:39:19PM Between 35 to $40 million in '28. And then not an additional 60 million, but total of 60 million by '29. 60 to 65 million dollars.
Naya Young
5:39:33PM Okay. Thank you for that. To councilwoman Hurtak's point, actually one of my questions was going to be if amendment 3 doesn't pass, what would be the process for these projects that we deferred going back into the budget, you know, if we would even have an opportunity to do that. So I could see both sides wanting to plan in the event, but also if we pass this the way that it is, what happens? What if we don't get to come back to the table and put these projects back in?
Michael Perry
5:40:10PM You're talking if amendment 3 --
Naya Young
5:40:13PM Yes, if it passes. If it doesn't pass. My apologies. If it doesn't pass.
Michael Perry
5:40:20PM Let's talk about the different pots of money we have available. One of the areas that we did not provide capital budgeting for was the community investment tax renewal because at that time when you prepare the budget, the city, we thought the city would be required to go ahead and contribute $20 million per year for the first four years using pay-go community investment tax renewal. So those monies are sitting in reserves and projects have not been appropriated. We now know how we're going to pay for the community investment tax. I'll make the first play for any additional monies, if we have to go borrow money, I need the debt service to pay back the interest cost on the money for the rays. That's one pot of money. The second pot of money is something we've been working with council the past two fiscal years and that is net revenues of the General Fund at the end of the fiscal year. We came back I think on the January 8 council meeting, and we presented where we were in the General Fund in '25. Net revenues, we went ahead and said, now, since that time, we need to keep this amount of money because I think we had to pay for one of the things that come to my mind was the swap-out of the handguns for TPD. We had to put some money in there. So we have that opportunity to come in January. What is unknown is where we come up with the General Fund. If amendment 3 passes, then the decision the administration and council need to make is, we're going to go ahead and spend that $11 million, and really, we're talking about $11 million in the General Fund. That's how much I think we're above the 23% right now in our projections. Do we spend that money now and let the future council and future mayor deal with it when they take office? Do we tap into our fund balance? Again, that will be laying the burden on the future mayor and the future City Council. Or do we wait until we see what happens with amendment 3? If it passes, then we may not use that money. If it fails, there's about $11 million left there.
Naya Young
5:42:46PM My question is, if we pass the budget how it is now, saying that we're deferring these projects, if it does not pass, do we come back, okay, we have a special call meeting, put everything back. What is the process if -- how do we make sure these are back?
Michael Perry
5:43:05PM That has to be a discussion between the administration and council whether or not that -- again, it's tapping into the fund balance. As I mentioned at the very beginning during the last recession -- let me remind you, what happened also the last recession was amendment 1. What happened in amendment 1 is it forced the city to reduce the millage rate above 6 mills down to 5.7. Back in 2007, we had reduced millage rate. We lost property tax revenue. Then we faced the recession where the taxable values of the properties decreased. For those of you who weren't here, Mr. Miranda, you were, negative 12%, negative 12%, negative 4%, negative 2%. That was the growth or the loss of the taxable value the city experienced over four years. So, again, we don't know what's going to happen in the future. Are things coming in play? Again, I'm not sure where we are going to go with the taxable value neither. Looking over my notes, this is the lowest increase in taxable value that has occurred during this administration. You have taxable value decreasing. You've got to worry about amendment 3, which means there's less revenue to play with also.
Alan Clendenin
5:44:32PM Thank you.
Michael Perry
5:44:33PM To answer your question, again, if you want to add it in the budget, again, what we've done in the past is we've kept the budget but at the first council meeting in October, we bring back a financial resolution. You've asked that several times and we've maintained our word, but you need to have that discussion with the administration if that's the path you want to go forward with.
Naya Young
5:44:59PM That doesn't really sound like a very confident answer, but okay.
Michael Perry
5:45:06PM What else do you need, ma'am?
Alan Clendenin
5:45:12PM Mr. Shelby.
Martin Shelby
5:45:13PM Martin Shelby, City Council attorney. To be specific, within your charter you have section 7.07 which is budget changes. It says the following: the City Council upon the recommendation of the mayor shall have the power from time to time during any fiscal year after adoption of the annual budget therefore by resolution to appropriate to any municipal purpose any funds not needed for the purpose originally appropriated or to appropriate any unappropriated cash surplus to any municipal purpose. So basically what this is, you do not have council initiated midyear budget resolutions. Those are all initiated by the administration upon the recommendation of the mayor and brought to council.
Alan Clendenin
5:46:04PM Thank you, Mr. Shelby. Councilman Miranda.
Charlie Miranda
5:46:06PM Thank you, Mr. Chairman. What I'm looking at, between the year 28 and 29, you might have a shortfall or reduction in taxable income coming in between 100 and 105 million, am I correct?
Michael Perry
5:46:20PM No, $60 million.
Charlie Miranda
5:46:22PM $60 million in the second year.
Michael Perry
5:46:24PM Correct.
Charlie Miranda
5:46:25PM That's what I'm saying between the two years. 100 to 105 million from what I see. Looking at that and realizing what we're facing, I'm not here to talk about the mayor or about the council, but all of us together in one group, and this is not going to be simple. What we're seeing here, whether we like it or not could be that the public may vote for the reduction of taxes in November. And then you're realizing what you're facing. However, we're partly responsible for that also. I tried my best to get this change -- took a week or week after to wait after November vote so we would be saddled with another debt might not be able to afford and that did not pass. I'm not here to talk bad about anyone, realistically, we're just as responsible as the mayor is. I don't point somebody fingers unless I point at myself first. That's all I'm going to say. Thank you.
Alan Clendenin
5:47:32PM I'll close out this round. After I speak, we'll have public comment. So, a couple of things. One, the points that were made by several councilpersons is one of the reasons why we suggested to the Charter Review Commission to be able to give council the authority with the supermajority vote to initiate public mid cycle budget amendments. I think what we're seeing right now is live in action why we probably needed to have that authority. I think council could -- [indiscernible] back then it was hypothetical. Now seeing in real-time what the issues are. That being said, I had presented this to council before. You've got copies of it in front of you. I have three different motions. Two of them are one resolution which will end up being -- what I've done. With extensive discussions with legal staff and the administration for support. By the way, I spoke with Chief Bennett. We talked with Dennis Rogero previously. Talked to Mike Perry today. Talked to our legal staff today, that everybody is on board, including Scott Steady, everybody is on board moving forward with this. It's a work-around to this issue just discussed. Assuming -- make a couple of assumptions. One, amendment three doesn't pass or we have excess revenue that is not budgeted. That they'll -- again, you all have seen this. I passed it out a couple of weeks ago, the different stress tests on quarterly reports. They'll do real run numbers. In the quarterly reviews if they observe that they've got excess of $10 million in revenue that's not allocated and that's assuming amendment 3 doesn't pass and they actually got money in the budgets, that the first $10 million will go towards repaving and sidewalks, which we know that is a huge issue with the public, and I think this council as well has demonstrated how we feel. By the way, a lot of the projects deferred are pavement sidewalk. Good portion are, first 10 million. The second 20 million go to Parks and Recreation. Again, it's one of those things in our budget workshop, we identified both of the things as budget priorities. Council would only be presented with 5 -- paving budget in FY '27. The reason I put that first, I felt like it was under budgeted initially. We have the first 10 would go to paving. Again, this is after quarterly reviews and real spending money. Real money coming in and going out to know what they can budget for. If there's excess of ten, zero to ten would go to paving. 10 to 30 would go to parks and rec. Again the documents you have, the documents with all the background information and all. What I'm going to do is make a motion because I've already worked this out with Mr. Shelby and our legal staff that Mr. Shelby and legal staff come back to the second public hearing on our FY '27 budget with revised language, revised formatting language that would be attached to an addendum to the FY '27 budget as an attachment. Again, the administration and everybody is on board with doing that. The third item you have on here is the proposed asking the City Legal staff to come back with a budget resolution. The first regular scheduled budget meeting allocating $250,000 to establish a fund that would fund our ability through the charter of doing investigations. Right now, we have that ability by law to do legislative investigation, but we don't have the money. This theory is we -- if we needed to, to hire outside counsel or do what we need to do, the fund would be available to this council or future councils by each -- I worked with the administration. They understand as well. My first motion would be --
Lynn Hurtak
5:51:51PM I really think we should wait. If you're not allowing us to talk about it -- we're not able to talk about my thing. You wouldn't let me continue. I think we should wait until we hear public comment. At the second round we all discuss this.
Alan Clendenin
5:52:07PM Let me make the motion and see where it goes.
Lynn Hurtak
5:52:10PM The problem is, I think both of them can work together.
Alan Clendenin
5:52:13PM I do as well. I think it's a little apples and oranges.
Lynn Hurtak
5:52:23PM I do. It's complementary, which is why I would ask you, if you wouldn't mind waiting until we are done hearing from public comment. We might have a couple more minutes to gel it in a different way.
Alan Clendenin
5:52:35PM I think what I want to do is have this discussion before public comment. Maybe we could ask council's blessing to have this discussion now?
Lynn Hurtak
5:52:43PM I would like to respond to the people who commented on my proposal.
Alan Clendenin
5:52:48PM Well, that's what I'm saying. Why don't we have the discussion now and then the public can talk about it.
Lynn Hurtak
5:52:54PM I'm also going to say I don't think it is a good idea to pass a rule without hearing public comment or pass a resolution.
Alan Clendenin
5:53:01PM That's what I'm saying. Let's talk about it now and then we'll do public comment. Councilman Miranda.
Charlie Miranda
5:53:09PM This has just been brought to us now --
Alan Clendenin
5:53:13PM I passed it out a couple of weeks ago.
Charlie Miranda
5:53:15PM I haven't seen it.
Alan Clendenin
5:53:17PM Gave it a couple of weeks ago.
Charlie Miranda
5:53:20PM I'm saying I haven't seen it. $10 million, you have to explain how many miles pave with $10 million. I can tell you what a mile costs. Anybody here from mobility?
Lynn Hurtak
5:53:31PM 750,000 per mile. Depends on the road.
Charlie Miranda
5:53:40PM $10 million only do --
Alan Clendenin
5:53:43PM Mr. Baird.
Brad Baird
5:53:44PM Brad Baird, administrator for infrastructure and mobility. I don't have the figure of how many miles per -- or how many million dollars per mile. I do have Brandon coming in about five minutes, and he should have that figure. I apologize.
Charlie Miranda
5:54:04PM We had the pipes program at one time, one mile was costing 1.5 million.
Brad Baird
5:54:11PM That's correct.
Charlie Miranda
5:54:13PM What is it costing now?
Brad Baird
5:54:15PM 4.5 million a mile. The 1.5 million a mile was 2023 number. The 4.5 million a mile is 2026 number.
Charlie Miranda
5:54:28PM It's not easy. It's expensive. Sometimes when I see something like this, yeah, I like it, what am I going to do? How many miles am I going to get?
Brad Baird
5:54:40PM Paving is very similar to a water line.
Charlie Miranda
5:54:43PM That's what I'm saying.
Alan Clendenin
5:54:45PM Councilwoman Hurtak, how about --
Lynn Hurtak
5:54:47PM Can I respond -- is that okay? First of all, I'm apologizing now because I finished my second chemo treatment at 3:45 today, so I'm a little hot. I'll apologize right now. If I'm a little off, that's probably why. I want to thank all of you for listening to me and to really asking those questions because Councilwoman Young, you are right. They did not answer the question. The problem is that they do this to us time and time again. Councilman Carlson made a point that the administration chose what they wanted to spend the extra money on before they brought it to us and didn't say, hey, this is what we're looking at. They said, hey, you know, we need to do this here instead of letting us make the decision. We have learned that handshake approvals don't hold water. I appreciate your trust. I do not share it. But they'll find a way. I do have a very quick motion. I just remembered the fact that I didn't put the deferral list up on the wolf for people to see. I'm going to make a motion that these deferral lists that I put into the record be added to onbase by tomorrow.
Alan Clendenin
5:56:07PM Motion from Councilwoman Hurtak. Second from Councilman Viera. All in favor, aye.
Lynn Hurtak
5:56:13PM That way the public who wasn't able to look at them tonight, can go on onbase tomorrow and see all the deferrals that the administration would like to do. I think that your proposal and my proposal can work well together because your proposal is anything on top of this money. So I think we approve this extra to go back into where it belongs, and then it will tie very nicely to yours.
Alan Clendenin
5:56:39PM That's why I was surprised when you said it didn't. It lays on top of it.
Lynn Hurtak
5:56:45PM It does. Like I said, I'm a bit of a b off tonight. I really appreciate all of you listening and understanding. I'm really excited about the possibility. Obviously, we have finally been moving in the right direction on so many things. I just don't want to stop that momentum if amendment 3 doesn't pass and everyone is right. 60% is a very large threshold, but I don't know.
Alan Clendenin
5:57:13PM I detect there is a will. We only had one round of public comment scheduled --
Lynn Hurtak
5:57:21PM You mean council.
Alan Clendenin
5:57:22PM I mean council discussion. Let's go for round two. Start with Councilman Carlson, Miranda, Maniscalco.
Bill Carlson
5:57:35PM We're not responding to your motion?
Alan Clendenin
5:57:37PM I haven't officially made it yet. I just feel like there needs to be more discussion.
Bill Carlson
5:57:45PM Does everybody else want to go twice? I want to point out to your proposal, ideally, it wouldn't be dollar amounts. It would be projects we could tie it to. I just watched the movie on Reagan and gorbachev, trust but verify, comes up again and again. Marty talked about what the charter says, but if the administration presents something to us and five-point type in the back, oh, by the way, we're moving this money from one place to another and we don't see it or they don't disclose it, then we don't know that's what they did. That seems to happen all the time. Is Mr. Perry still here? Ideally there would be more transparency. I think Mr. Perry is a transparent person. That's why I'm going to ask him these questions. Can we go to page 7, presentation? Mr. Perry, you said you have on here 2007, 2027. But the great recession was 2008, ended in 2009. We took or I took -- this mayor and I both came in at 2019. Do you know what the number of positions were in 2019 compared to today? It seems to me that is the more relevant. 2007 is what we were before. Pam iorio out of necessity cut a whole bunch of positions. The last two administrations have added back and we needed to for certain services. Instead of going back to 2007 to me seems like an arbitrary thing to me when we should go back to where this administration started.
Michael Perry
5:59:36PM I'll ask cttv, can you bring up and put on the screen chrome and the internet?
Alan Clendenin
5:59:51PM We'll do a strategic pause. I can sing. I've got friends in low places.
Bill Carlson
6:00:12PM Is there a reason you're not wearing a tie?
Alan Clendenin
6:00:16PM Yes, I got here at 9:00 this morning and didn't go home to change.
Bill Carlson
6:00:22PM The three of you are always supposed to be -- what was the staff number in 2019?
Lynn Hurtak
6:01:20PM Stephanie has it.
Alan Clendenin
6:01:21PM Is it an official City of Tampa document?
6:01:24PM Would you accept Stephanie's official City of Tampa document?
Bill Carlson
6:01:29PM Would you mind if she put that on the elmo? What was the number?
Michael Perry
6:01:43PM Again, this has fte growth 2019 by department.
Bill Carlson
6:01:51PM Do we know what the fte number was in 2019?
Michael Perry
6:01:55PM No, I don't.
Bill Carlson
6:01:57PM I'm trying to compare to the 50, 48, whatever it was.
Michael Perry
6:02:01PM Top 2, 200 between fire and Solid Waste add another 60, so you have to add them up.
Bill Carlson
6:02:11PM I was just curious to compare, during an administration how much they grew just in overall numbers. Maybe we can talk about that off-line and present it next time, too.
Michael Perry
6:02:24PM I think Mr. Bennett Passed out during the workshop of the general government on August 17, the fte growth has been normalized at 1.7% annually since 2019.
Bill Carlson
6:02:40PM I have two more questions, but I'll get cut off in a second. Page 11, we talk about roll back, is it possible to propose a roll back that is contingent on amendment 3 failing? Maybe that is a legal question?
Michael Perry
6:02:59PM One of the main things you have to do today and most important thing is do the preliminary approval of the millage rate. And the millage rate has to be set so that the tax collector can go ahead and send out the tax bills. You cannot do a contingency like that.
Bill Carlson
6:03:23PM If amendment 3 doesn't pass, I think there will be a lot of pressure in the public to try to figure out how government can cut. I'm not saying roll back to the roll back rate that was presented a minute ago, but to cut slightly at least. That's it. Thank you.
Charlie Miranda
6:03:43PM I'm not totally opposed to this. I want to know for the public's sake and everyone's sake what it takes to do what we have to do. Your suggestion is right leading to it. Talking about 1,235 miles of roadway, but how many miles will it get you for your dollar. Sidewalks $290 a linear square foot, what is it going to get you? How many miles do for whatever amount of money to spend because it won't be a lot. That's what I'm getting at. Sounds great but the productivity, the amount of money you're going to spend is not going to give you a kickback of two or three blocks. It goes really, really fast when you start looking at these things. There are other things we're behind on that no matter what we put on, without money, you cannot solve the problem. You can try, but you'll fall short of your goal because the money is not there. Then where do you start? What district? Not that I want a district, but I'm saying you've got four districts composed of the City of Tampa. Four, five, six, seven. And those you have that amount of money for each district or is it in one district? I really don't care as long as it's done right. It may be a district I'm in. District more needed. I understand that. But then you have to put a category of why you're doing it there. Because the public is entitled to that. So the district, once it's in the district, in the hot seat. One district gets more, one district gets less, how you're going to divide it. They have seven of us. Four of us comprise the City of Tampa.
Alan Clendenin
6:05:24PM Councilman Maniscalco.
Guido Maniscalco
6:05:25PM I want to bring up separately a motion that I want to make after public comment. There are folks in the audience that love transit. I love transit, too, public transit. But it was in regards to funding route one and moving some money around. After public comment, I'll make that motion.
Alan Clendenin
6:05:43PM Anybody else wants to speak on this round? Councilwoman Young.
Naya Young
6:05:48PM Just asking, because I always like to look and see what other people are doing, other cities and states. Did st. pete just passed their budget, didn't they?
Michael Perry
6:06:02PM They probably had their first public hearing.
Naya Young
6:06:05PM Does anyone know, did they go this route or did they just pass it as normal, like how they would do a normal budget? If there are impacts, then they'll go back and fix it.
Michael Perry
6:06:18PM We can certainly look that up. Generally counties and cities across the state are withholding funds and maintaining liquidity in anticipation of reduced property taxes in the future.
Naya Young
6:06:33PM Okay.
Alan Clendenin
6:06:35PM Councilwoman Hurtak, do you have anything else? Councilman Viera.
Luis Viera
6:06:40PM Thank you for that. You had mentioned, Mr. Perry, what is the cost that we put to run our elections?
Michael Perry
6:06:47PM Running about $500,000.
Luis Viera
6:06:50PM I'm going to beat on this drum and I'm the only person beating on this drum because only person who voted for it, damn it.
Lynn Hurtak
6:06:57PM No, I supported you.
Luis Viera
6:06:59PM Thank you. My apologies, Councilwoman Hurtak. You know what, you did. I'm thinking of -- yeah, thinking of something else. Thank you for that, that we should -- I always say this -- move our city elections to even years. We save over half a million dollars every election cycle. We get a lot more folks coming out to vote and it's just good stuff. But when you said that, I went, let me talk about that. That's all. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman Hurtak.
Alan Clendenin
6:07:30PM Councilwoman Hurtak.
Lynn Hurtak
6:07:33PM Thank you. Again, I really want to listen to what the general public has to say because we have a really nice robust audience this year. So I really want to hear what they have to say. I'm happy to make a motion that will coincide with yours. I understand what Councilman Miranda is saying, but I do believe that we have to start somewhere, and these are the two main areas where people keep asking us for things is paving and parks. So I don't disagree with that at all.
Alan Clendenin
6:08:07PM Yeah, something that I think was said -- maybe need to be corrected, cost of paving. Our in-house crew pays for substantially less. Right now, what is allocated in the budget, that the administration has presented is 5 million. Only 5 million. So this would actually, if the budget runs work out that there's excess funding this would actually triple that amount of money. So it doesn't matter how much it pays. We'll still get three times more than we get now. We didn't mention our in-house. Kudos to our Mobility department for bringing that and also doubling the amount of machinery and crew to be able to pave more roads for less money. It's what government should be doing. I'm very appreciative of that. I'll hold off making the motions until public comment, and we can work out those details as we get to that point. I think there is a lot of discussion to be had during those periods of time because we've got unallocated resources, C.I.P. CIT, excuse me. A lot of that can be used for the CIP. There are opportunities there. I think the question is, how this council chooses to move forward with those opportunities. I highlighted this in my one rant, with my one document, the budget about the revenues because we also do something we aren't talking about tonight or nobody mentioned. Our best practices for the city is to do 95% of anticipated revenue which is a requirement by statute for counties but not by cities. We ask for those. They gave me that data about how that has worked -- how it has worked with past budgets, 95% versus what the reality is. There's -- there's -- there's some flexibility here. For Councilman Maniscalco, those motions I think will come, like my motion about that investigatory fund will come with a -- a motion from council to come back at the first meeting -- regular scheduled meeting with an administration initiated budget amendment like we've done in the past. That is the easiest way of doing this as opposed to throwing the FY '27 budget into chaos, for lack of a better word. Being able to do it that way, which we have done and the administration has been good about living up to those agreements in the past. I assume motions come out tonight will be the same. If there's no other --
Michael Perry
6:10:48PM To answer Mr. Carlson, since 2019, fte growth has been 575 ftes. 575. Point 49.
Alan Clendenin
6:11:01PM Very good. Now, I would like to open public comments for the FY '2027 millage rate, FY 2027 budget, and FY 2027 to FY 2031 capital improvement budget and program. Put that into plain language, if you are here to speak to any of the items that I just listed, FY '27 budgets, this is your only opportunity to speak. If you would like to speak -- a few of you at a time can line up. We'll make sure we get to everybody. We're not doing cards. We're doing the old-fashioned way of lining up against the wall. If you want to speak, line up against the wall, three or four at a time. I see a lot of new faces. When you come to the podium, there is a microphone. See the podium, we have a microphone, you have to be facing council when you're talking. When you come up there, you start with your name and you'll have three minutes. Start with your name and you'll have three minutes. The only things you can talk about are what I listed, millage rate, budget for FY '27-31 capital improvement budget program and FY 2027 budget. Those are the only items you are here to talk about. Here to talk about anything else, it's not applicable to this conversation. Happy to talk individually with council members. Make an appointment. Tonight for public comment, that's it. First speaker, please come to the podium. You'll have three minutes after you say your name. The clerk will set a timer. 30 seconds, it will go yellow and still have 30 seconds. The first beep, you'll still have 30 seconds. When you have red, you need to close it down. Good evening, everybody. I'm a resident of Tampa, and I'm running for mayor. Do I have some thoughts, briefly. I think the residents deserve to know that the basics come first. Public safety, reliable water, sewer systems, drainage, flood protection, roads and infrastructure, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer money, particularly interested in hearing how the capital priorities address those needs, and I've heard quite a bit tonight. But I would warn everyone, and I empathize -- I empathize with the City Council, because we have a perfect storm, and that is this new proposal that suddenly taxes are going to be eliminated. It is a quandary. The other part of this is, and I'm a former stockbroker and bond broker. I can tell you that the interest rates are creeping up, as you know. That's problematic, too. Anyway, I think we're all doing a great job. Thank you for hearing me out. Any questions for me?
6:14:11PM We only do the one way.
6:14:15PM It's your opportunity to speak to us. Next speaker, start with your name. You have three minutes. I live in Ybor City. I've been struggling with sleep lately. I think I found the solution. Your meetings. My god this -- over the last few years, I've come to the budget hearings. I'm not ever optimistic about how they'll end because you'll do what you'll do. You already decided before the meeting but thank you for the public comment. I love making it as much as you all love hearing it. Over the last few years, we have seen more and more increase in the Tampa Police Department budget. I believe it's projected to go up another 7%. I understand speculation is part of that. But if we stop doing things like cooperating with 287-g, we don't need to have as much police force because we can focus on other things, maybe actual crime or something like that. We don't have to give them a bunch of drones. There are enough helicopters flying over Ybor City. That might be contributing to the sleep issue. There's so many other things we could use money for. If you're worried about what happens if amendment 3 passes, there are areas for you to cut right there. We could focus on things actually public safety, like community wellness, mental health, cahoots like program. I've been talking about it the last eight years. Go ahead and look it up again. I don't send them to you anymore because you don't read them. There are things to do besides find more punitive policing that marginalizes already poor communities. We could fund transit. A lot of people here to talk about that. We need it in the city. Currently I need a car to get anywhere reliably in the city. Auto insurance, auto loan and fuel, probably $600 a month I have to spend just to get around the city on top of paying for parking that I just had to pay and sit and listen to you all for however long it's been. If I had 600 extra dollars a month that I could spend because there was a reliable transit system that I could use, buses, anything, I'll take horse and buggies at this point, like anything, anything other than having to use cars, imagine how much I could spend in local businesses in Tampa because that's where I do most of my spending is in local businesses. I don't get to spend nearly as much because I have to pay for auto insurance so that way progressive can get my money. Or auto loan so suncoast credit union can get my money on top of all the gas stations. Please do something useful with this budget. Every year we are going in and begging you to do anything. I know some of you are up for election. I don't vote for mayors that don't support transit. I don't vote for state representatives or senators, whatever one it is that don't support transit. And I don't reelect City Council members that don't support transit. I do support in march and runoff in April. I tell my friends and believe it or not, that's a lot of them.
6:17:17PM Next, please state your name. My name is valem. I am a South Tampa resident. I want to start off by actually thanking all of you all for approving the recent expansion of Madison Street park in channelside. Great job you guys did. In addition, new expansion in channelside also includes a new park and in gasworx also including a new park. I appreciate what you guys have did. But after reviewing the proposed budget under Parks and Recreation, I did not identify any dedicated funding for parkland acquisition. As the urban core continues to develop, I would encourage you guys to provide meaningful funding whether through the parks capital program or the appropriate redevelopment funding, opportunities for additional parkland. In particular, I think it should be a serious consideration to evaluate the opportunity for a larger, centrally located park in the urban core. While many of those plots are still undeveloped, I believe we have an opportunity we may not have in the future if we don't act now. Once that land is developed, we may not have that opportunity again. Yeah, thank you guys. I appreciate it.
6:18:46PM Thank you very much. Next speaker, start with your name. You'll have three minutes.
6:18:53PM Hand it to our attorney, please.
Martin Shelby
6:19:02PM If you can acknowledge your name. James pollen. One additional minute for a total of four.
Alan Clendenin
6:19:11PM Start with your name, three minutes. First, I will give James' comment. They didn't want to give it themselves. Living in the middle of Tampa off busch and Nebraska he rely on public transit and bicycle to get to and from work. Underfunded state of the public transit system frequently caused issues with my reliability to commute to work or run errands in a timely fashion. Although I currently work from home and do not need to rely on public transit to and from work, I advocate for public transit in the City of Tampa to ensure everyone can access employment and participate in the local economy regardless of car ownership because I believe everybody deserves the ability to travel around Tampa and access jobs and groceries, schools and parks, not just me. I feel like we should all be like that. Thank you to my partner James for donating their time. I'm here today to, first of all, thank this council for getting it when it comes to public transit. Since the 2024 budget cycle this council has demonstrated that it heard the widespread popular sentiment in this community that we must invest in transportation options immediately and has listened to your constituency asking you, sometimes begging you to invest in public transit through investment in one of the city's most beloved bus routes, route one. For the first time, this budget has proactively included money for route one frequency and that's thanks to all of you. I'm mainly here however to advocate that you all update what is currently in the budget to more accurately reflect the need and be a little more innovative to improve potential outcomes even more. Transit now Tampa Bay is here to ask that you believe give HART an additional $55,000 to meet the specific need of 1.04 million to maintain the decent level of frequency that you all began funding last year on route one. An additional 95,000 for marketing for total of clean 1.5 million to HART for route one and bus system improvements. This amount is a little more than the 1.35 million needed for the frequency increases on evenings and weekends allocated last year, primarily due to inflation. It's still less than the first year when we courageously funded fare free. Note that the fare free aspect was less of a cost than the frequency, that is true. These additional $150,000 in funds will ensure the increased frequency of 15 minutes weekdays, 20 minutes evenings and 20 minutes weekends lasts full fiscal year and will ensure that there are funds sufficient for marketing of route one and other key routes in the city that simply need more visibility to increase ridership. In 2025, fare free increase pilot was a smashing success, in large part in my observation, thanks to HART's marketing and engagement team that created fantastic collateral and materials to promote the route. It is derived from the community identified need for improved visibility for public transit. Good marketing and PR is one of the best strategies for increasing access and visibility of existing public transit routes that people should consider. Like route one to get places like downtown and the airport, getting cars off the road and decreasing traffic. HART has identified several routes called opportunity routes that have great potential to have increased ridership. So they could use about half the funds for route one that the city is investing in and the rest could be for the other opportunity routes. As for frequency, three years is the minimum number of recommended years for service improvements. If you end the program early, we won't have proper data to analyze the impacts on ridership. Three years is industry standard in order to fully realize the benefits and identify data trends. The funding for route one has succeeded by another metric I'd like to point out. While funds for many transportation projects don't seem to go anywhere like the all for transportation funds returned by the state which I recently heard from a trusted source the city only encumbered 2% of those funds, funding for route one has 100% directly funded its intended use. Please consider that and note -- just know that funding route one continues to be a worthy investment by the City of Tampa and we thank you for considering this motion and investment. Thank you very much.
6:23:15PM Thank you. Next speaker, please. Start with your name. Of just speaking to the middle here. Steve Michelini. The main issue that I really want to address is stormwater maintenance and the proposed budget showed a reduction in fees going toward that particular line item. Considering the attention that's been brought to the council regarding stormwater and the necessity for maintenance, I would hope that the council would put more money into that allocation and then if you have deferred projects, you said $10 million for these different categories, I would think that stormwater maintenance would be at the top of that list. It's very important. You have an assessment fee, and then you have a capital fee for stormwater. You should ensure that that is going toward what it's supposed to go for. The maintenance and the equipment and the personnel. I sent you an article earlier today, which basically said there was one person responsible for maintaining the pumps. And when he retired, no one was there to maintain the system and that it caused significant flooding. That report was given to you by the audit department back in January of 2025. Here we are in September of 2026, and I think that the attention needs to be brought back into focus and stop with the taking money away and shifting project money from other areas of the city. The entire city has issues regarding stormwater and flooding, and the attention should be that when you have a project there, don't take the money from those other projects and shift it to something else. Direct it according to what it was intended to be. When it was originally proposed was by district and by proportional spending that was an allocation where you collect the money and where you have the need, spend the money. Don't shift money around. Pay attention to these salaries. I know the other people are going to speak about that. Some of these salaries and I don't begrudge the city employees for getting paid well. However, some of these salaries are way out of line considering the number that are in the administrative side versus those in the field. You don't have enough equipment in places and that's been demonstrated as well. Realign the focus. Keep the money where it's supposed to go. Use it for real improvements and not for all these administrative costs. Thank you. Third generation East Tampa resident. I sent you all an e-mail asking if we can be more intentional in making sure this budget is closer to the people through our homeowners, small businesses, workers, and neighborhoods. I recommended $34 million for affordable housing preservation and infill. As the city is working on the missing middle, there's going to need help and create that missing middle that is not a high end what developers look like but something that we definitely need in our community. Asking to you consider urban grocery and food access. We have several food deserts that really need some help in creating some community grocery stores. Small business stabilization, as we are doing our multimillion dollars in construction, but because we are no longer able to help minority contractors, we should be able to create a fund that helps with bonding insurance, working capital, and technical support, so our small businesses are competitive as we are having this development here. Also asking for skilled trade entrepreneurship and a.i. Workforce and development as we need to prepare our workforce for what is coming. Also ask for 1.8 million in transparency and public access. Evening meetings is probably a lot more economical for people to attend, but it was brought up to our attention that there's not any budget for any additional meetings, so we ask that. I'm going to end there. On a personal note, we have on the capital improvements deferrals, one of them is station 10. Station 10 is my neighborhood. I lost my father in a fire in my house on MLK. Station 10 was able to get him out of the house. We unfortunately lost him. But that station 10 still came and checked on my mother, checked on us. We need to make sure that we minimize our families having to go through that loss. Our firefighters especially, they have such heart and they work very hard. One of the things I learned as an alternate on the charter review is once you pass it, unless the administration brings it back to you, you can't ask for these changes. It has to come to you. This is your only time to make sure that you're protecting our citizens through this budget. Thank you.
6:28:52PM Thank you. Next speaker, please. Start with your name. A couple of the plans you've got are great. I love them. Stack them on top of each other. The one encouragement is put some teeth in your paving plan because if you've seen, there are times where they just won't do it. I've been suggesting a trust where you control the money and you're not just an approver, you are the owner of the actual funds. And then the people benefit as you plan. One little thing I discovered when I was following up with tech, I said, hey, public records is pretty important. We all say that. But when the rubber meets the road, when you want to pull public records on somebody's e-mail in the City of Tampa, you have to go through dot-matrix and little hamster gets moving and eventually spit out results on the other end if the hamster doesn't get distracted. Was asking, hey, when would this be updated? Not full $2.3 million. Had to call, what's going on with that. By the way, it's been deferred. Part of the deferrals that we're debating pulling out are things like transparency and how we'll get public records back in less than 492 days. I would suggest both of those plans get put together and put teeth in them. I like it. Thank you, guys.
6:30:17PM Thank you, James. Next speaker. It's jade Scott. I'm here as you can probably tell by my shirt to advocate for increasing the allotment of $1.35 million to $1.5 million for route one. Frequency is integral, and this money will help allow us to continue the hard work you've already done. Already done the hard part. Already been brave. Now we have to be consistent. Frequency is how we stop routes from falling into disrepair and disuse. After all, it is a vicious cycle. You wait for your bus, bus doesn't come or takes 30 minutes. Don't go on the bus, no one rides the bus. Then it disappears off the map like routes have done before. Maintaining the frequency, we allow us to have a healthy circulatory system for our citizens throughout the county. And also by increasing the funding for the marketing specifically, we can help people realize that this is not the heart of their father or mother. This is a new and improved heart. This heart beats well. I have a neighbor named carla. Carla last rode the bus in 1997. Had a neck injury. A baby who is now a grown man. Rode the bus once, hit the brake too hard. Never been on a bus again. We need to do marketing to people like carla. Saw something, hey, we're different, better. Saw a billboard, facebook ad, something that wasn't people advocating a little bit, I feel like she could make that change. A lot of people exist like carla who have those stories. People need to see that it is different. Buses are great. Some of you guys love buses. You've already done the hard part. Already been brave. We need to be consistent. Please raise it to 1.5 million. Thank you very much. Also, last thing, I don't know where she is, kelly scharf is amazing. She's fantastic. I sent out an e-mail and she was like the only person to respond. She's great. I don't know if you guys can give raises, if you can, she deserves a raise. She's lovely. Have a nice one. Thank you.
6:32:29PM Thank you. Next speaker, please. We all love kelly. Can you hear me?
6:32:37PM It picks up everything. My name is adria. I am a Tampa citizen. I am here to echo the sentiments of everyone in our public transit group but also I'm here to talk about transparency. A common phrase I'm hearing more often lately is that taxation is theft. Taxation without representation is theft. While I don't agree with amendment three, I do understand the sentiment. People are not seeing the benefits of city intervention in their daily lives. So a tax break seems like a nice little benefit to people who don't understand the long-term effects. As a Tampa citizen that does understand that short-term savings do not equal long-term benefits, I would like to implore City Council and just in general everyone in government to really exercise more transparency and focus more on quality of life improvements rather than punitive punishment measurements. Transparency also includes marketing. That would be a very nice benefit of just getting the word out of things that city government is doing that benefits the people. When amendments like amendment 3 are posed, they hold less weight. If we want Tampa citizens to continue to give you their tax dollars, it should be your responsibility as publicly elected officials to establish that transparency and that trustworthiness that they will be used for our benefit. We want us to all work together, but we need to see the benefits in our daily lives for people to really trust that their taxes will be used properly. So that's why amendment three is even being proposed right now. I don't want it to pass. We don't want it to pass, but we need to bridge that gap between us and the rest of Tampa citizens. Thank you.
6:34:28PM Thank you very much. Next speaker, please. Start with your name. My name is Joshua nesmith. I'm here with transit Tampa Bay. I urge you to invest in public transit and also speak to some of the things mentioned before. I'm speaking now, but specifically the route 1 funding. I just want to advocate that you guys allocate 1.5 million to route one. Like the speakers before me have said, it would help us maintain the frequency that we already committed to giving the residents of Tampa. I've personally seen the obstacle set for people just trying to function in daily life that don't have access to personal vehicles or money to buy a personal vehicle or learn how to drive. It's really just sad to see what lackluster public transit can do to the people of Tampa. I would love to see us invest more in public transit and allocate 1.5 million to route one. Thank you.
6:35:24PM Thank you very much. Ashley, start with your name, please. Chair of our Charter Review Committee. My name is ashley morrow. I am coming to voice my opinion. Thank you so much for providing this document. It really shows a chopping block situation going on here. As you can see, because people at home may not have this document, the playgrounds and resurfacing losing $500,000. Is that correct? Is that what that means? I'm saying that correctly. Jackson Heights security upgrades losing $150,000. Parks and rec citywide maintenance and repair losing $500,000. Citywide ADA improvements losing 200,000. And small neighborhood parks losing $1.1 million. We just had an issue with teen takeovers. When we divest from our youth, things lucky that happen. So there are programs investing in the youth, but -- I'm not saying you guys don't. I know the city does put a lot of money into the youth programs, but I don't think we should -- let's move some money from somewhere else. That's all I have to say about that. I don't know how much we're putting into historic preservation, that is my thing. I think we should be putting money into historic preservation and probably including the youth in that as well, involving the community, being more proactive in finding those stories because a lot of those people are passing away. Like I said last week, I went to go speak in Sulphur Springs. A lot of the elders there, some of their descendants are saying they passed away, but they attended this church and -- I'm like, well, did you write something down? Do you have pictures? I know we have an archives department here. I'm just proposing that maybe there be more money pumped into that so that way they have a bigger team or something so they can go out and get that information. I'm not taking take up any more office space. Like I always said, working in this industry here in Tampa, I don't think the work can be done inside an office. You have to go out. That's my two cents. Thank you all so much for your time.
6:37:56PM Thank you, ashley. Ms. Poynor, did you have anything to say?
6:38:01PM Start with your name, please. Stephanie poynor. I want to start out when we start talking about whether people tell us things and whether they actually happen or not, I don't know if all of you remember this but in 2023, $5.5 million went to Solid Waste during that meeting. It was implied in a very special way that that 5.5 million would go back into housing. Never happened. I want to show you something. Hopefully it's still here. No, no, I didn't do it. Bottom line is, I'm like looking at this new police facility that we're going to build for the forensics lab. You notice in the background, that place doesn't look like it's falling apart. Mr. Miranda might be able to testify because he was there, but it doesn't look like it's falling apart. Looks like it is in a whole better shape than blue is. I didn't have enough sense to explain that it wasn't in onbase when I noticed that yesterday. But we've taken away 64 point almost 2 million dollars from the Fire Department. Oh, dear baby Jesus. There's nothing on here about TPD. You just gave them $36 million, and you rob anything moving forward for TFR. Once again, redheaded stepchild of the City of Tampa is the Tampa Fire Rescue. They never want to give any money to our Fire Department. It really perturbs the crap out of me. Why isn't that on hold? Seriously. I'm looking at the list and I have to make questions. It's very vague. There's lots of weird stuff in here that's not really mentioned by name. I'm sorry, I have to agree with you. I have to agree with Lynn. The aquatic repairs, does that mean we're not going to fix Sulphur Springs pool? Does that mean you'll stop spending money on Sulphur Springs pool? Somebody is going straight to hell if that is the case. The question you had earlier, when I put together the spreadsheet which you all have and manipulate it to whatever you want, top 96 positions or so in the City of Tampa, it's a $431,000 increase. So I'm not expecting you to take away not one penny from any person who currently works for the city, just making them wait until after the elections in November. My favorite this time, this came up on my facebook feed. Somebody sent it to me. In 2023, the mayor's office was paying the same five positions, $506,000. Now they are making $672,000. And one person this year is going to get a 21.9% raise. My guess is, he's probably getting a TPD retirement check, too.
6:41:07PM Thank you, Ms. Poynor.
6:41:09PM I'm seeing no other public speakers.
6:41:16PM Shoosh you. I would like to close public comments for the tentative -- is anybody registered online? No. I'd like to close public comments for the tentative FY 2027 millage rate, FY 2027 budget and FY 2027-2031 capital improvement budget and program. Now this is council's opportunity to ask more questions and comments. This is your time to pontificate or ask questions. I saw Councilwoman Hurtak first and then Councilman Maniscalco.
Lynn Hurtak
6:41:56PM I want to make a motion. I want to work with the budget staff between now and the next meeting --
6:42:10PM Yes, sorry. Between now and the next hearing to figure out what things we want to make sure get funded like amendment 3 isn't going to happen. And what I'm going to recommend is now that you all have these copies and, Ms. Scharf, if you can almost e-mail it out to each office, that way you can have a digital copy, but that way if everyone here has the opportunity to talk to Revenue and Finance to make sure that -- I don't know. Some of these might be things that were never meant to be funded. But I really do believe that it is our fiduciary duty to fund this budget in full, but having this sheet of paper, these two sheets of paper that if amendment 3 passes, we can say, okay, we agree that we'll change this. But if it doesn't happen, we're not going to get another bite at that apple. The reason we know is because fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. We are lucy and the football every single year. I'm not going to do that this year. My motion is that I will work with Revenue and Finance to tighten this. But if any council member has specifics -- I'm going to ask that Revenue and Finance meet with each council member specifically so we can tailor this list, and this will be a change order. Is that how we do it? What's the word I'm looking for? Sorry. I get to blame chemo brain now. It's kind of fun. I'll take it.
Michael Perry
6:43:56PM Deputy chief financial officer. What we've done in the past -- I'm going to ask not the first meeting in October because that's actually October 1st. So the second meeting in October, not later then, whatever we agree to come back and bring forth with the financial resolution.
Lynn Hurtak
6:44:15PM I'll go ahead and ask that finance meet with each council member to talk through these deferrals and by the next hearing, we'll kind of have a game plan, but then that will be a budget resolution.
Alan Clendenin
6:44:34PM Just remember, those items on that list, total cost, not necessarily fiscal year impact.
Lynn Hurtak
6:44:41PM I know. But I also know some of these might be something that a department just kind of threw out and said, well, maybe I would like to do this. I want to make sure, again, it gives everybody the chance to do that. Gives the administration an understanding that this is how we're going to do it and then roll them back if needed.
Michael Perry
6:45:00PM Give you an example, last council meeting, council approved a financial resolution reprogramming t and I funds to take care of the -- that's $250,000 for streetcar infrastructure. There's still funding in that project. So we'll go through these and we'll make a recommendation. If there's enough funding in the project right now, then we're going to recommend not to fund it in '27.
Lynn Hurtak
6:45:26PM Okay. But also, not only this budget deferral and the capital improvement deferral, but also the CIP budget for 2027 because right now it's pretty empty. Just taking a look at that, again, seeing what we can do for the CIP.
Michael Perry
6:45:43PM I was talking the CIP.
Lynn Hurtak
6:45:45PM I'm sorry. The CIT.
Michael Perry
6:45:48PM And that's part of the CIT.
Lynn Hurtak
6:45:50PM CIP, CIT and budget office budget deferrals. That's my motion.
Alan Clendenin
6:45:55PM I have a motion and a second from Councilman Viera. We're going to limit -- did you second that? I have a motion and I have a second. We're going to restrict comments right now to just this motion. This is just about the motion on the floor. If you have comments about the motion on the floor, Councilman Maniscalco --
Guido Maniscalco
6:46:23PM No.
Alan Clendenin
6:46:24PM Anybody have any comments?
Luis Viera
6:46:27PM Again, I'm supporting the general idea because it's a good way for us to maintain as much control as we can over the budget without giving up jurisdictions, if you will.
Alan Clendenin
6:46:41PM I agree. I brought this point up, this was something that I identified initially when I sent that memo out about revenue and the -- again, I understand where the administration is coming from in conservative budget. I get why they did what they did. We do have this impending October surprise. Inflation, everything else that's happening. Again, I want to make sure, so when you're looking at the CIP money, I keep seeing those -- I heard get thrown around like $30 million. That's not FY '27 budget impact. That's total budget that could be amortized. It's bonded money. As we approve that in the C.I.P., it's bonded money. The fiscal year impact if we move forward on the project would be -- let's say October it doesn't happen and we are able to do -- financing, they would finance that money. I believe, Mr. Perry, am I correct when I say this? That you guys deferred -- so this -- we didn't kill the financing. Deferring it -- by the administration opinion we're deferring this until we have an answer on the amendment 3 and a lot of that deferral is because it's bonded money and you have to be able to know that you've got the debt services allocation, is that right?
Michael Perry
6:48:06PM That's correct. We originally were Planning, bringing forth to council early September, like Thursday, a resolution to borrow money short term, to fund projects that council has already authorized the construction contract for. So we have that list, and we have some other projects. One project that I'm not sure we even have the final GMP and that's for the public safety training facility. Do we have the GMP on that? So we were deferring that project. And then there are some other things that have come up since then. We want to make sure before we go out there and authorize the city to borrow money, one, we have the debt service to provide that. Two, that we approach it with our eyes wide open.
Alan Clendenin
6:49:04PM That's kind of the problem with the borrowed money. Because if we put it in there and they go forward with Bonds, we don't have a way to pay it back.
Lynn Hurtak
6:49:15PM But we do because we're the ones that will choose to either approve the project or not approve the project.
Alan Clendenin
6:49:23PM If you move forward --
Lynn Hurtak
6:49:24PM Funding of the project.
Alan Clendenin
6:49:25PM -- move forward with the motion and we reinstall these deferred projects into the budget what are the consequences?
Lynn Hurtak
6:49:34PM The projects are already there.
Alan Clendenin
6:49:36PM I understand, but they are not funded in FY 27.
Lynn Hurtak
6:49:40PM That's what we'll talk to him about and come up with a list of the things we want to.
Michael Perry
6:49:46PM What Councilwoman Hurtak is talking about is pay go. Actually using cash.
Alan Clendenin
6:49:51PM Only the pay go. Not the bonded money.
Lynn Hurtak
6:49:54PM Yeah. We can revisit the bonding if amendment 3 doesn't pass. We can have a special call. I expect that we will have a special call either way.
Alan Clendenin
6:50:03PM This is just the pay go part.
Lynn Hurtak
6:50:05PM Yes.
Alan Clendenin
6:50:05PM Very good. I did not pick up on that nuance. Sorry. Thank you. Good. Any other conversation about this?
Lynn Hurtak
6:50:14PM I just --
Alan Clendenin
6:50:15PM Councilman Carlson and back to the maker of the motion.
Bill Carlson
6:50:18PM Clarifying question. Sorry if I heard you wrong a little while ago. Did I hear you say that amendment 3 will really have an impact on 2028 and not on 2027?
Michael Perry
6:50:29PM That's correct. 2028.
Bill Carlson
6:50:30PM Since we're doing the 2027 budget, how come we're having this discussion at all?
Michael Perry
6:50:37PM Because, again, what mayor iorio did. She was able to build up the fund balance so that when we went into the recession, we were able to spend down that liquidity she built up in order to maintain operations for the general government.
Bill Carlson
6:50:55PM Do you know if all these items are added back in, what the fund balance would be?
Michael Perry
6:51:00PM No, I do not. That's going to have to be part of the discussion. Is there a bottom line that the administration wants for the fund balance at 23%?
Bill Carlson
6:51:17PM My bottom line is going to be 23%. I think we should support this now and then have it come back and talk about it. Maybe you could bring that feedback and that number back.
Michael Perry
6:51:26PM In my mind, I think it's about $10.5 million. Between the community investment tax of $16 million and $10 million, there's $26 million out there.
Alan Clendenin
6:51:42PM We have a motion from Councilwoman Hurtak. A second from Councilman Viera. Is there any further discussion, Councilwoman Hurtak?
Lynn Hurtak
6:51:53PM I just wanted to thank the administration for coming up with the deferral list. I think it's a good place for us to start to be able to put things back, but to have somewhere we can go. I do not want this to be the end of the conversation. I think whatever happens with amendment 3, we are going to have to reconvene as a budget body with a focus on what we want to do with this budget. I really think this helps clarify it to some degree. I really do appreciate the assistance from the finance staff who does a phenomenal job. Yeah, let's vote.
Michael Perry
6:52:26PM To give you an idea, since 2019, we brought over 1100 financial resolutions to City Council. We try to be as transparent as possible with the finances going in. We've also done the year-end review. Never done that before for three years. We continue to do the midyear review.
Alan Clendenin
6:52:50PM I understand what you're saying, Mr. Perry. But deference to the charter, we've had these conversations, the charter says only the administration can bring, after we pass this budget, only the administration can bring back a financial resolution to amend the budget. So even though y'all have brought all those, it's all been on the priorities of the administration, not necessarily -- now I will grant for this administration and the last couple of years -- I've only been on council since '23. They absolutely lived up to the wishes of council and we asked them to come back with a budget resolution, but it's not a requirement. Again, we have to do things regardless of the person and the position because as I had that conversation today, you don't know who the next person is going to be and how well they are going to work with council. That's why I think some of us are maybe a little more cautious than others on this because, again, it's something I think we'll have to have that discussion about having council have the ability to have mid cycle budget amendment. Initiate them. Mayor still have to sign off but initiate those in the future.
Luis Viera
6:54:02PM Sort of on the motion, if I may. For this deferral list, is fleet maintenance for Tampa fire --
Lynn Hurtak
6:54:14PM It's deferred.
Michael Perry
6:54:17PM Where we are with the fire fleet and supply maintenance, we bought the property. So we bought the property. We have an extra million dollars there which I do believe they are looking at relocating Code Enforcement off Lowry Park, which will move that money, too. And then the next step and held back on is issuing the RFP for the design component of that. So then that figures out, that may take anywhere from 18, 24 months to complete the design component of that. And then at that time, figure out if we have the money to go ahead and construct that facility.
Alan Clendenin
6:54:59PM The design component is pay go?
Lynn Hurtak
6:55:02PM No, no. I made a very clear motion that Code Enforcement was not to be a part of that Planning. It was incredibly clear. That motion was solely for fleet and supply. We all talked about it. We made a very clear motion that Code Enforcement was not to come in on Tampa Fire Rescue's property.
Michael Perry
6:55:27PM It's a separate piece of property. That should be coming through for the acquisition of the property. Of course, Mr. Viera, once we start constructing the fleet and supply and we get that done, then we're able to do the moves for the other fire stations.
Alan Clendenin
6:55:49PM Any other discussion?
Charlie Miranda
6:55:51PM Thank you for filling in for Mr. Rogero. You've done an excellent job like you've always done for all the years you've been here. Your department has received accolades every time there is an internal and external audit for as long as I've been here. Thank you very much.
Alan Clendenin
6:56:07PM Councilwoman Hurtak has made a motion that the budget and finance staff will between now and the next budget hearing have meetings with council staff to discuss the C.I.P. And CIT funding for FY '27.
Lynn Hurtak
6:56:22PM And the General Fund deferral.
Alan Clendenin
6:56:24PM And the General Fund deferral money for FY '27. Based on that discussion, bring a financial resolution to the budget hearing, for the second budget hearing.
Lynn Hurtak
6:56:37PM They are going to bring a proposal which will then be voted upon by us and the financial resolutions don't come until two weeks after October.
Alan Clendenin
6:56:46PM They'll bring the proposal to the second public hearing for approval and then based on that information, if we need to take council action, it would be a budget resolution for the first meeting after October 1st.
Michael Perry
6:57:03PM October 15.
Alan Clendenin
6:57:07PM Is everybody clear about the motion? All those in favor say aye. Opposed? Ayes have it unanimously. Thank you very much. The HART motion. Go ahead.
Guido Maniscalco
6:57:22PM I want to make a motion, and it was mentioned before, to add a $55,000 to the existing $1.35 million for the HART contribution account number 582568 and also -- this is to maintain the frequency of route one at 15 minutes on weekdays, 20 minutes weekday evenings and 20 minutes on weekends, and to add an additional $95,000, and this is for the marketing for HART's opportunity routes, specifically route 1 and the city's investment which would bring it from 1.350 million to $1.5 million evenly.
Alan Clendenin
6:58:03PM I have a motion from Councilman Maniscalco. Second from Councilwoman Hurtak. That would be a financial resolution on October 15.
Michael Perry
6:58:17PM Including the proposed budget is $1.35 million for HART route one. So what I heard from the public is you're requesting another 150,000?
Guido Maniscalco
6:58:27PM Yes, to bring it to 1.5 million even.
Alan Clendenin
6:58:30PM That is a financial resolution to be brought before council on October 15. I'll make one comment. One, I'm hundred percent supportive of the motion. I'm obviously a huge advocate of transportation in general. I believe that is the future of everything else is making affordable and reliable transportation is critically important for the City of Tampa. That being said, for those of you out there advocating, the county commission is your target, not the City Council. The county commission actually receives tax revenue that they disburse. HART receives tax revenue they disburse. They are the ones that should be doing the burden. In essence what we're doing, we're double taxing Tampa. I think Councilman Carlson discussed it before. I think this council is very supportive of moving these kinds of things forward but it's not a long-term solution. The long-term solution is making the elected officials that are responsible for this and that owe it to the taxpayers and the City of Tampa and Hillsborough county that they stand up and do the right thing by our transit systems. I saw Councilman Viera, Carlson, Miranda, Councilwoman Hurtak.
Luis Viera
6:59:46PM Very briefly. I've been on the HART board I think four years or so. I was chair for three years. I remember when Councilwoman Hurtak first brought this up. I always joke that I was like, man that is a hell of a good idea. Why didn't I think about that? I always salute you for that. I think that is an innovative idea. We've really, really seen amazing results for people on that pivotal route. USF students, folks going to the va, everyday working families. It's just the right thing to do. To further increase this obviously, I support this. By the way, I'll be getting off the HART board in two months or so, so that seat will be open. I'll be bouncing, as the young people say. Thank you.
Alan Clendenin
7:00:32PM Councilwoman Young first and then Bill Carlson. I think I missed her light.
Naya Young
7:00:39PM I have general comments that I want to make.
Alan Clendenin
7:00:43PM This is only about HART. Councilman Maniscalco's motion on the floor about extra funding for route one.
Bill Carlson
7:00:52PM When the funding came up the last two years, one for a pilot for free service and then second for the funding for a pilot for more frequency, I don't think that the city should be funding HART. HART was moved out of the city. The taxing authority of the city for transportation went with HART and HART has the ability to go from half a mill to three mills. I supported transit now's efforts to get the HART board to vote for change. They did vote to increase I think from half a mill to a mill. Unfortunately, it has to go to the county and then go to referendum. That's still -- yeah, that's still a challenge. But I'm okay with a pilot and this additional money for a pilot I'm okay. I think the success in the first one was not because it was free. I think it was because Councilwoman Hurtak and transit now heavily promoted it. They put at least 50,000 in free marketing behind it. I really would like to see an effort where transit now directly got funding to promote a separate route without changing anything else so we could have a constant, just so we can compare the different things. Now we're comparing frequency versus free routes. Let's take another route or this one next year and just put in marketing for transit now. Because I think although Dana gave the HART marketing people a lot of credit, I think there were a lot of creative things that were done by volunteers. Ideally, we would put money into transit now. And I've been proud to support transit now in the past and I will continue to do that. I'm okay with it as a test, but we need to -- to me, the purpose of this is to take the information from the test and go to the county and say you need to approve either HART having more funding or you need to approve more funding or some other solution. Long term it's not sustainable to, as colleague said, tax people twice. HART already has taxing authority, has the ability to tax itself more. If that's not going to work, then we need a whole new structure. What's going to happen at the city, if we funded any of these things permanently, we'd have to raise ad valorem taxes here. If we do that, we may as well move the city's portion of HART back in. We either support HART as independent agency or support it being part of the city. Really only three choices that I'm aware of that we can do. Property tax, sales tax, and debt. All of those are difficult. I think the administration is talking about debt now, which I'm not in favor of. We need to find a solution. Everybody needs to know we need to find a solution. We have lots of plans, just don't have funding. Million here, million there from the city is not enough. Hundreds of millions to fund transit. I was involved in sun rail in Orlando. That was 20 years ago and the state put in 900 million, and that would be two or three times that much now if we want to do it. So we need to find a huge funding source if we want robust transit.
Alan Clendenin
7:04:08PM Congressman mica was the appropriations chair at the time.
Bill Carlson
7:04:13PM Surprisingly JEB bush helped with it, too.
Charlie Miranda
7:04:16PM Thank you for bringing it up. Mr. Carlson said was correct. Tampa used to be in the transit in the '70s. No buses leaving outside the city limits. The gentleman ran it was named henry Orr. He stopped me. I was a young guy then and told me the day you take one dollar from the federal government, you're going to lose everything. I thought he was nuts. You know what, he was right. Our bus line was right here on cleveland street, where the buses came at night to refresh themselves, get cleaned up and back out at 5:00 in the morning. We had buses, and we did all right. It was a losing proposition, but we're losing more now and we don't even have the service we had before. There's got to be a difference between this government and the other government. When they want to count money, they count it by population, not how much you contribute to it. We produce 31% and get 21% back. That's a wonderful deal for them. So what I'm saying, the bus line, told me one thing. You're going to spend a dollar to take somebody from here to wauchula, but you only going to get a quarter in return. That's what he told me. Open my eyes and that's exactly what he told me. I don't know how many people travel from here to wauchula. I don't know if there is a bus route that goes to wauchula to be honest with you. City of Tampa had a unique situation. Buses coming from here to downtown to Ybor City, all the way on North Florida Avenue. It had a distribution system that kind of worked real well until we gave up on it because the federal government got involved and that's what they wanted and that's what they got. That's where we're at today. We're not in the bus business. We're subsidizing a bus system but we have nothing to do to operate it. Thank you very much.
Alan Clendenin
7:06:21PM Councilwoman Hurtak.
Lynn Hurtak
7:06:25PM I want to thank transit now Tampa Bay. This has been a really wonderful adventure. We worked on getting the funding for this. I appreciate them for asking Councilman Maniscalco to make this motion tonight, because I didn't know if I was going to be able to be here. I know that his love for transit is very clear. Also, Councilman Viera who sits on the HART board. Chair Clendenin and the streetcar board. Everybody here really supports transit. It was a very hard vote the first year. But the second and third year it hasn't been. I want to thank the advocates that continue to work and really look forward to amping it up again with more advertising. I think it will make a huge difference. I'm really proud of our city for doing what it needs to do. You know what, county commission may change their tune because I have a feeling going to be some different people in those seats.
Alan Clendenin
7:07:27PM You just took the wind out of my sails. I was going to say you guys have November to get to us county commission and favors transit. Your marching orders are in place. I have a motion. I have a second. All those in favor say aye. Opposed? Ayes have it.
Lynn Hurtak
7:07:44PM Yes, Chair Clendenin.
Alan Clendenin
7:07:45PM I would like to make a motion -- [inaudible] I make a motion that Mr. Shelby work with our legal staff to bring forward to the second hearing an amendment to the FY '27 budget with the information on what I discussed earlier, the first ten and the second 20, which is basically overlay what we just discussed. They got that information. You all should have seen this already. Mr. Shelby.
Lynn Hurtak
7:08:21PM I have a quick question. Is that in onbase? What I'll ask you to do first is make a motion to put these in onbase. Give these to her and make sure just like these deferrals they are in onbase so that the public can look at them.
Alan Clendenin
7:08:38PM I would make the motion after Mr. Shelby and legal put it into the format that they want to attach it to the FY '27 budget, then put that information in the onbase.
Lynn Hurtak
7:08:47PM I would just allow the public to take a look at it now.
Martin Shelby
7:08:51PM I'm going to advise against that.
Lynn Hurtak
7:08:53PM Okay. Then I'm wrong.
Martin Shelby
7:08:55PM You're not wrong. I want to explain why I advise against it. This is to check Clendenin's credit, this is his work product. And, quite frankly, neither I nor the Legal Department had any hand in this, which is all well and good, but in order to bring this into the system we have, I'm going to ask if I can, Mr. Chairman, if you would make the motion to have the Legal Department work with me rather than the other way around, because I want to acknowledge Justin Vaske who works closely with me. He also sits in at every budget advisory committee meeting. He's integral to the process. I want to give him the acknowledgment and I would be happy to work with him to be able to bring something back.
Alan Clendenin
7:09:48PM For council's information, we've already had the offline conversations with Justin and Mr. Shelby and Mr. Perry and Mr. Rogero. Everybody has been wired into this. I will go with the semantics of having Justin work with Martin Shelby on the rewording or putting this into a format that would be an amendment to the FY '2027 budget -- not amendment. An addendum to the FY '27 budget.
Martin Shelby
7:10:21PM Also add in for council information, speaking with Mr. Vaske, this would also be an attachment or an exhibit to the budget ordinance itself.
Alan Clendenin
7:10:34PM The addendum would be part of the budget.
Martin Shelby
7:10:36PM Yes.
Lynn Hurtak
7:10:37PM I have a motion from Chair Clendenin. I have a second from Councilman Viera. Any questions? Councilwoman Young.
Naya Young
7:10:48PM I have something I want to propose to the council to go into the budget. This is not going to affect that --
Alan Clendenin
7:10:58PM What this addendum would end up practically doing is we will pass -- this council Will pass -- hopefully will pass an FY 2027 budget. That budget as Councilwoman Hurtak outlined, we're also coming for her amendments that the budget staff come back on October 15 with financial resolutions making amendments to the '27 budget. What these amendments do is they require reporting after each quarter. If after each quarter, if after that when we have that '27 budget as a base line, if revenues exceed certain levels, then that money will go -- if your things get incorporated into the FY '27 budget, that will go first and this would go second.
Lynn Hurtak
7:11:58PM That was a very good synopsis.
Martin Shelby
7:11:59PM Thank you for that. Martin Shelby, City Council Attorney. This is a ruling, not using the term, resolves the issue that addresses what I read to you in the charter. This, again, as part of the ordinance would then therefore be approved by the mayor. The mayor would approve the ordinance, so in effect what you have is during this negotiation process is an agreement moving forward to be able to address your concerns that you have expressed -- about how you allocate money.
Alan Clendenin
7:12:39PM Again, it's about priorities. The reason why I think -- maybe not as much as the CIP stuff. CIT, a lot of funding sources for that. Maybe some of the other items like councilman Maniscalco's resolution and maybe what you have, the money is relatively de minimis compared to the larger chunks of money required for something like this. You get to certain funding levels, this is such a big-ticket item.
Martin Shelby
7:13:09PM One last request, Mr. Chairman, as part of your ordinance to have that addendum returned to this board, which would be the 22nd of September.
Lynn Hurtak
7:13:25PM Okay. I have a motion from Chair Clendenin. Second from Councilman Viera. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Okay.
Alan Clendenin
7:13:33PM I don't know if I did this motion. I would like to make a motion that the staff return to the October 15 meeting of Tampa City Council, regular scheduled meeting, with a budget resolution allocating $250,000 to the council to be able to reasonably acquire specialized professional assistance when necessary to conduct our legislative powers under the charter's responsibility for investigations.
Lynn Hurtak
7:14:07PM Motion from Chair Clendenin. Second from Councilman Viera. Any conversation? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed?
Alan Clendenin
7:14:17PM And that's it. I'll take it back. Councilwoman Young.
Naya Young
7:14:21PM Okay. A few comments. One, I actually participated in one of the route one bus rides, which was very fun. So I think having that additional funding to do more marketing I think is going to be really good for route one. I asked about st. pete's budget earlier. They passed a budget and with the focus on youth programs and safer streets. The reason I'm bringing that up is because there was public comment that I was speaking about, the importance of parks and rec. You all know we had the teen take-overs and we immediately sprung into action and started having the teen take-over events which I attended most of them, pretty much all of them except for the last one. There was one event where it actually got rained out but we were telling the students come back, we'll do it again. One of the teams, I think a kick-ball game. It's not even about the money for us. We just want to come back to play. Obviously, there is a need there and there is a want for our teens and our youth to want to do something. I'm always an advocate for our parks and for investment in our youth. Just posing that to the council but also as we're here talking about the budget, an investment in our youth is an investment in our future and that's the truth. I'll always push for that. Also a comment about importance of wellness in communities. Our parks provide that as well. It's not just investing in a park so someone can go swing. There are multiple benefits to investing in our parks and having parks that everyone can go to and feel safe and have programming. I'm just, you know, I want to pose that to the council.
Alan Clendenin
7:16:10PM That resolution that we just passed, excess revenue from $20 million of excess revenue after the first 10 would go to parks and rec.
Naya Young
7:16:21PM Wonderful. Thank you for that. I also want to pose this to the council. We have Sulphur Springs neighborhood action plan. We were able to allocate 150,000 from surplus funding to go towards that plan. The technical working group has been working with the neighborhood association to do different things in the community with those funds. One of the reasons I wanted to do that is because we all know Sulphur Springs, they are not a CRA. We have to just put money into that community ourselves. So I would like to see and I want to pose this to the council for fiscal year 2027, putting money into that neighborhood action plan. For example, we have the parks master plan. We don't have it exactly line teem that we'll do this and this. Allocate money toward the parks master plan. I would think that we should do something similar for the neighborhood action plan. Put money towards the neighborhood action plan to continue to further those initiatives. Whatever that money goes to, and if you haven't looked at the neighborhood action plan, it is very clear. It lays out everything they want that the community wants to see, and the top ten actions are actually laid out in the neighborhood action plan. Everything from food access to housing to economic workforce and development. Let's say we put 1.5 million and then come back to the table and decide where we want those funds to go to out of these top ten actions that are listed in the neighborhood action plan. I'm pushing for that because, again, not saying that CRAs fix everything but this is an area not in the CRA. We literally have to be intentional about putting money into the community. I wanted to pose that to the council, if I have to make it a motion, I will.
Alan Clendenin
7:18:12PM From a chair's perspective, I think you have to have, like as we're going through the FY '27, a specific project with a budget allocation for that specific project. There will be flexibility in FY '27 if amendment 3 doesn't pass. Some of the items fleshed out, focus on this item, cost x number of dollars. Unless we get charter authority to do this we can't initiate the amendment but we can ask the administration to initiate a budget amendment to fund that program in FY '27 or you can -- kill the timer since we're talking about the motion. Anybody else's thought?
Bill Carlson
7:19:08PM I would support that. I think it's a good idea. I'm against creating new CRAs because the money that comes from CRA is based on gentrification. I've asked people in Sulphur Springs, if you want 20 story high-rises on the river, then CRA is a perfect solution. We talked about doing a virtual CRA where we could count the money and put in there. We need an initiative like what you're saying. What I'd rather do is set up -- unfortunately we can't partner together outside of this. I'd rather see some community organization that -- like a community foundation for Sulphur Springs that then with certain criteria hands out money to make it go faster. That's like a future thing we could look at. In the meantime, as chair said, if you could recommend the specific projects and how much money it is, if there's extra money, then we can allocate that. Or what we've done in the past is found something else to cut and then add that money in. I would support that.
Lynn Hurtak
7:20:17PM I was going to recommend that as well and I have a project for you. That bridge, that manatee bridge, $1.5 million is what I've been told. My office has been working with Mr. Fowler and his office on it. If you want to take that and run with it, just so you know. That's one of those things that I always advocated that if that bridge gets fixed, that's bringing people into the neighborhood to help bring other folks to then buy things in the neighborhood. See the neighborhood. Hopefully do so the more investment in the neighborhood. That's going to be a very expensive bridge, even if we do a part of it. Maybe not the whole 1.5 million, but they need to shore up the edges first. Mr. Fowler will talk to you about that. Generally what we've done is found another way to shift that money, so maybe between now and the next hearing, maybe your motion is just that you're going to, I want to work with staff to find a way to fund and we'll decide what projects we want to fund and we'll come with something. So you may not end up with whole 1.5. May end up with half of that, but then it's your intention and council's intention when we get to that parks and rec portion that Sulphur Springs is dealt with first or something like that. So my recommendation would be more open-ended and work with parks, or not just parks, but work with staff to figure out which one or two things you want to fund because as we're all recommended to you, if you have a specific project, it's much easier to follow it and track it and make sure it gets done. So I think that is a really good suggestion.
Naya Young
7:21:57PM I want to see a line item for Sulphur Springs in every budget. We've all driven through there so we know and we have to put the investment in there. Even with this 150,000, the neighborhood association and they have been working with staff and the Planning Commission to really like get the biggest bang out of their buck. I want to be sure we stick to this. This plan is so -- I mean -- everything that they want to see. We're very intentional with going to the community about this. It could literally be anything. We could pick access to fresh food and home ownership and housing. If it is a specific project that council would feel better and would come back with a second hearing, but the idea, I want to see fiscal year 2027 and Sulphur Springs in that budget.
Alan Clendenin
7:22:50PM Because it transcends parks and rec, Ms. Wynn is in the audience. Would all this follow within your portfolio? It's in City Planning is where the action plan has been with lauren Vasquez has been the lead from the team in doing that. A lot of what's in there is very programmatic. It's not C.I.P. Type of projects. It is other programs, revolving loan -- other things. The council gave 150,000 and we've been working, cleanup of repetitive dumping that impacts the community. There have been several things. I don't know that some of those programs are fleshed out to a dollar amount at this point. When the 150,000 came from City Council This year, we went back and looked at what could we do to spend that money in alignment with the objectives of the neighborhood plan as well as -- sorry, it's late -- as well as get it done in a timely manner. So that's where I think they have done additional sweeps. They have done a couple of other things that were in alignment with those top ten. And lauren had brought -- lauren and jerry had brought those to you once the money was allocated to say based on the 150, here's what we're going to do. Council gave the blessing. Okay, we'll do that and then they have been working on that. That was just the first step. If you recall, the plan was just finished not that long ago. So this would kind of be part 2 or an ongoing -- you would probably sit down and actually look at what would be a two to five-year plan for implementing those ten things and what would be the annual allocation that would then support that in going forward so that you would then set up metrics. You know where you are spending the money, who helped, who were the recipients, a lot of things like we do with our housing programs.
7:25:02PM Ms. Feeley, in your portfolio do you have an action plan for short-term, like '27 and beyond implementation of this? Is this -- do you have like an action plan or work flow, how this will be funded or is it just hanging out in the atmosphere right now?
Abbye Feeley
7:25:21PM Right now it is open because it needs a funding source. First we laid out here is the plan. Here's what came out of the plan and then it was, is it going to be an annual allocation? Is it going to be grant funding? Is it going to be -- what part of these programs are able to be performed by the city in partnership? How would we implement? It just got finished.
Naya Young
7:25:43PM If it needs an annual allocation --
Lynn Hurtak
7:25:47PM You need to figure out where the money will come from.
Alan Clendenin
7:25:50PM Councilman Viera, Carlson, and then might want to hang out because I anticipate more questions.
Luis Viera
7:25:56PM To bring this very important issue home, why isn't a motion made so that on the next budget hearing we have item number 3 being this and you can present your findings in working with staff, which I would love to second that and support that for whatever. Because Sulphur Springs needs a marshal plan and I'm all for that. I think that would be great.
Alan Clendenin
7:26:18PM You want to make a motion for yourself, you'll work with --
Naya Young
7:26:23PM I make a motion to work with staff and City Planning on identifying specific -- funding specific to implement specific projects in the Sulphur Springs neighborhood action plan.
Alan Clendenin
7:26:39PM I have a motion from Councilwoman Young. I have a second from Councilman Miranda. All those in favor -- sorry, Councilman Carlson. Okay. All in favor, aye. Opposed? It was unanimous.
Bill Carlson
7:26:55PM A minute ago I mentioned the community foundation. You probably know them already. I would recommend -- we can't go together. I would recommend you reach out to them. If they can't work with us, maybe somebody else could. Reading between the lines of what Ms. Feeley said and your priorities, probably nonprofits that we could build capacity with that could do that, where the city doesn't have to manage it. If -- there are things that only the city can do. But other things, if there is a way to go through the community foundation to govern or oversee building nonprofit capacity, that would be a great thing.
Naya Young
7:27:36PM I'm willing to explore that. My whole goal, I want to be sure we put money into Sulphur Springs. Now is the time to do that and that we're doing it the right way. As long as that happens, how we get there --
Alan Clendenin
7:27:49PM Councilwoman Hurtak. Close this out.
Lynn Hurtak
7:27:50PM I would recommend that you also bring Ms. Kopesky in on the conversation.
Naya Young
7:27:56PM We were talking earlier.
Lynn Hurtak
7:28:00PM I want to make sure she is cc'd on it. [Talking over one another]
Alan Clendenin
7:28:08PM Mr. Shelby, you had something to add?
Martin Shelby
7:28:11PM Add to the motion that the possible proposal will be presented to council. You'll be returning at the second reading --
Alan Clendenin
7:28:17PM This motion has already been voted on.
Martin Shelby
7:28:20PM Does it include the date?
Alan Clendenin
7:28:22PM The next public hearing.
Naya Young
7:28:23PM Make an amendment to my previous motion that this will come back at the next budget hearing on the 22nd.
Alan Clendenin
7:28:31PM Motion from Councilwoman Young, second from Councilman Maniscalco. All those in favor aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. We'll close this out. Councilwoman Hurtak.
Lynn Hurtak
7:28:40PM I just wanted to bring up the proposal from our citizens budget advisory council. Did we want to do anything with that?
Alan Clendenin
7:28:50PM I'd ask Mr. Shelby.
Lynn Hurtak
7:28:54PM Want to ask Ms. Kopesky to look into it.
Alan Clendenin
7:28:58PM I think it is a legal question.
Luis Viera
7:29:01PM I think with all due respect to Mr. Prindle and Ms. Poynor who were here doing a good job and looking into that is good but perhaps raise the threshold from a hundred thousand to perhaps 150 and then see what revenue enhancement we get through that. I think 150 is good. That's my opinion.
Alan Clendenin
7:29:24PM Again, I think we need -- [inaudible]
Luis Viera
7:29:34PM And to request the monetary amount that would be saved.
Martin Shelby
7:29:38PM As a request, if that were a motion, in order.
Luis Viera
7:29:43PM Ten suggestions, not the ten commandments.
Martin Shelby
7:29:47PM I don't want to put words in anybody's month but would that be a motion to come back with --
Luis Viera
7:29:53PM Yes, sir. At the next budget hearing, if I may, monetary amount through the aforementioned salary increase freeze on folks earning over $150,000 a year, the monetary amount that we'll save just so we can make an informed decision.
Martin Shelby
7:30:06PM From the start of the fiscal year until such time as issue is resolved.
Alan Clendenin
7:30:14PM Just data information.
Luis Viera
7:30:16PM Just so we can find out and make informed decision.
Alan Clendenin
7:30:19PM Motion for the staff request from Councilman Viera and second from Councilwoman Hurtak. All in favor aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. I have another resolution I have to talk about.
Bill Carlson
7:30:37PM Stephanie poynor was talking about TFR. Walter is here. I wanted to see if the fire union had any response to that and if they have any suggestions. They can talk to us individually. To put you on the spot, if there's anything you wanted to say now, any response that you had to that?
Alan Clendenin
7:31:00PM You have to start with your name. My name is walter hill. Tampa firefighters, Local 754, legislative vice president. I think Ms. Poynor hit it right on the nose. It's unfortunate that those projects would be kind of kicked to the side. I think they are taking the full brunt of that dismantling of the budget. We'd like to see them continued if nothing more than continuing to do the plan design. He said it will take 18 to 24 months to get that process completed anyway. The fleet maintenance is holding up all the other projects.
Bill Carlson
7:31:35PM Thank you. I'm sure you'll brief us more individually as well.
Lynn Hurtak
7:31:42PM Chair Clendenin.
Alan Clendenin
7:31:43PM Apologize for not hitting this one. In front of you is an e-mail I received from the director of mobility, Brandon Campbell. Brandon, would you come to the podium? I received this, and this is reference to our ally study request.
Lynn Hurtak
7:31:59PM We did ask for this. Thank you.
Alan Clendenin
7:32:00PM This is in reference to the alley study. You'll see task one through seven. Funding requirements to start the process. Obviously this will be a bigger project, with all of the other needs identified tonight, probably fund in FY '27. I would like to at least start the process. Looking at this, Brandon, it seems to me that in '27 you could go through tasks one and two in '27.
Brandon Campbell
7:32:30PM Yes. Good evening, council. Brandon Campbell, mobility director. Yes, staff broke down the full study and seven different tasks with a cost associated with each task. We put that together so that if you need to pick a cut line, you could do so wherever seems appropriate to you all. Of course, your question being would it be appropriate to make that cut line after task 2? I would say, yes, that's probably where I would suggest if you ask for a suggestion.
Alan Clendenin
7:33:08PM My motion would be to request staff to return on October 15 with a budget resolution, and they could work with director of mobility Brandon Campbell on the specifics, but completing tasks one and two of the alley study.
Lynn Hurtak
7:33:26PM Where are you going to get that money from?
Alan Clendenin
7:33:30PM That's why I'm asking --
Lynn Hurtak
7:33:32PM You need to know by the 22nd.
Alan Clendenin
7:33:37PM Staff, can we work together to see if there are budget allocations to return back with that? Work with my office, get back by the 22nd. Do you have a copy of this?
Brandon Campbell
7:33:49PM It came to me very end of the day today. I can work with Mr. Perry, though.
Alan Clendenin
7:33:55PM Work with Mr. Perry and I can talk to Mr. Perry and get that by the 22nd.
Brandon Campbell
7:34:00PM Yes, sir.
Lynn Hurtak
7:34:00PM Motion from Chair Clendenin. I have a second from -- I'm sorry. I have to have my second first. Councilman Carlson.
Charlie Miranda
7:34:12PM Page 4 is what I'm looking at. Looking at the inventory, looked at East Tampa, Hyde Park, Ybor City, Seminole Heights.
Lynn Hurtak
7:34:20PM What they are Planning to look at. They haven't looked at yet.
Charlie Miranda
7:34:24PM What I don't see is West Tampa. I'm sure if you look at West Tampa you're going to find more problems than you'll be able to solve.
Brandon Campbell
7:34:41PM This is exclusive of West Tampa because that's being undertaken under that separate effort that was initially within the CRA and then expanded with an additional budget to do the rest of West Tampa.
Abbye Feeley
7:34:55PM Just to add to that -- Abbye Feeley. We are finishing West Tampa. West Tampa was started by the CRA. We're finishing it. We had 50,000 which is in the deferred list, but I believe, and I can confirm with jerry tomorrow, we already found the money and doing it already. Don't need the 50 in hold. In process, there was a contract that had money left in it and we'll finish it.
Charlie Miranda
7:35:19PM Thank you very much for saying that, the CRA but there are others outside the CRA, equal to or greater than.
Abbye Feeley
7:35:27PM Yes, sir that's what we're doing. CRA was done by kimley-horn. That contract was finished out. There was a desire by West Tampa to finish what is outside the CRA but within what we know as West Tampa, and that is being finished now.
Charlie Miranda
7:35:43PM Thank you very much.
Lynn Hurtak
7:35:45PM Okay. Thank you very much. Mr. Shelby.
Martin Shelby
7:35:49PM The clerk has asked for the purposes of the record and clarity if you can just restate your motion exactly as what you'd like.
Alan Clendenin
7:35:56PM I'd like to make a motion that mobility work with our finance department to identify funds for tasks one and two of the alley assessment program that council had proposed and with the intent that after that is done, brought back to our second public hearing, that the intent would be the administration would procure a budget resolution to be presented to council on October 15, 2027, to fund tasks one and two.
Lynn Hurtak
7:36:28PM Motion from Chair Clendenin. A second from council member Carlson.
Martin Shelby
7:36:34PM Do you have a copy -- there you go, Mr. Campbell's e-mail. Thank you.
Lynn Hurtak
7:36:42PM All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed?
Bill Carlson
7:36:50PM Should we separately vote to receive and file that and put it in onbase?
Alan Clendenin
7:36:54PM We'll do the receive and file at the end of the meeting, all the documents.
Martin Shelby
7:36:58PM Receive and file does not necessarily put it in onbase.
Alan Clendenin
7:37:02PM I have a motion to put the Brandon Campbell memo into onbase. Second from Councilwoman Hurtak. All those in favor say aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. We've come to that --
Michael Perry
7:37:14PM Can I ask a clarifying question?
Alan Clendenin
7:37:16PM Yes, sir.
Michael Perry
7:37:17PM Mike Perry, deputy CFO. I want to make sure -- we try to meet your expectations as best we can. We'll go through the list of items that were cut from the budget. Is this to be included in the pot of money? Okay. It's not additional.
Alan Clendenin
7:37:38PM Included in the pot of money previously identified, looking for basically an amendment to FY '27.
Michael Perry
7:37:46PM This is part of the unfunded requirement.
Alan Clendenin
7:37:50PM Yes. Councilwoman Hurtak.
Lynn Hurtak
7:37:53PM I believe as would councilwoman Young's look, search for money.
Bill Carlson
7:38:02PM Can I add, thank you to Brandon and Adam and whomever from mobility who worked on that so quickly. That was a great turnaround.
Alan Clendenin
7:38:09PM Very informative as well. So when people get that in onbase, good City staff work on that one. Thank you. Appreciate it. We've reached that time of our meeting that Councilman Miranda loves to tax people of the City of Tampa. Councilman Miranda?
Charlie Miranda
7:38:26PM Motion to adopt a tentative 2027 millage rate of 6.2076, motion to tentatively adopt a proposed millage rate of 6.2076 mills which is 2.3% more than the roll back millage rate of 6.0680 millage for property tax funds which is used to support the General Fund operating budget and the community Redevelopment agency funds of the City of Tampa.
Alan Clendenin
7:38:55PM I have a motion from Councilman Miranda. A second from Councilman Viera. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? The ayes have it unanimously. The tentative millage rate is -- or now it's not the tentative -- of 6.2076 has been adopted.
Bill Carlson
7:39:16PM Anybody watching, especially for the first time, it's not an increase. It hasn't been increased since 2017. So if you're in save our homes and we'll see what happens with the amendment, but if you are in save our homes, yours shouldn't go up more than 3%. We've seen a lot of online chatter of people who moved to the area and the person who owned the house before had to pay 2,000 and the new people have to pay 6. That's based on the difference in the house you paid. It's not an increase in taxes. I want to throw that out there. We're not increasing the tax rate. If your house went up in value and homesteaded you are limited, even on commercial property you're limited but we're not raising it.
Alan Clendenin
7:40:00PM Come to my attention we probably should have had a roll call on that. Please call the roll on the adoption of the '27 millage rate of 6.2076.
The clerk
7:40:10PM Motion carried unanimously.
Alan Clendenin
7:40:12PM I think we have to have a roll call vote.
Naya Young
7:40:16PM Yes.
Luis Viera
7:40:18PM Yes.
Bill Carlson
7:40:19PM Yes.
Charlie Miranda
7:40:20PM Yes.
Guido Maniscalco
7:40:21PM Yes.
Lynn Hurtak
7:40:22PM Yes.
Alan Clendenin
7:40:23PM Yes.
The clerk
7:40:25PM Motion passes unanimously.
Alan Clendenin
7:40:28PM Because the state law requiring the percentages of votes, we need to make sure we have that done right. Will the finance chair please provide the first reading of the ordinance?
Charlie Miranda
7:40:39PM Item 12, ordinance being adopted, budget of the City of Tampa for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026 and ending September 30, 2027, providing for the levy as provided by law of tax on all taxable property in the City of Tampa, Florida -- Tampa, millage within said city making appropriation in accordance with the provisions of said budget, authorizing the directing the mayor and city clerk as the proper authorities of the City of Tampa to certify the property appraiser of Hillsborough county, Florida, the millage to be levied for all purposes for fiscal year 2027 in the City of Tampa, providing an effective date.
Alan Clendenin
7:41:24PM Certifying to the property appraiser. Motion from Councilman Miranda. Second from Councilman Maniscalco. Roll call, please.
Luis Viera
7:41:31PM Yes.
Bill Carlson
7:41:32PM Yes.
Charlie Miranda
7:41:33PM Yes.
Guido Maniscalco
7:41:34PM Yes.
Lynn Hurtak
7:41:35PM Yes.
Naya Young
7:41:37PM Yes.
Alan Clendenin
7:41:39PM Yes.
The clerk
7:41:41PM Motion carries unanimously. September 22 at 5:01 p.m. at 315 East Kennedy Boulevard, third floor, Tampa, Florida, 33602, for the adoption of the FY 2027 millage rate resolution. Second reading of the ordinance and adoption of the budget ordinance and adoption of capital improvement budget and program resolution for FY 2027 through FY 2031.
Alan Clendenin
7:42:06PM Thank you. I would like a motion to close the public hearing. Motion from Councilman Viera. Second from Councilman Maniscalco. All those in favor aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. I need a motion to receive and file, please. Motion from Councilman Maniscalco. Second from Councilman Miranda. All those in favor say aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Motion to adjourn? Motion from Councilman Miranda. Second from Councilman Maniscalco. All those in favor say aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. We are adjourned. [ sounding gavel ] disclaimer: this file represents an unedited version of realtime captioning which should neither be relied upon for complete accuracy nor used as a verbatim transcript. Any person who needs a verbatim transcript of the proceedings may need to hire a court reporter. ▶ meeting video the information contained in these pages represents an unedited version of realtime captioning which should neither be relied upon for complete accuracy nor used as a verbatim transcript. Persons requiring a verbatim transcript may need to hire a court reporter. © - City of Tampa (813) 274-8211
Agenda
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1. B2027-2
First public hearing regarding the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget. (Reading of the first public hearing statement concerning the proposed millage rate.)(Second public hearing to be held on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 5:01 p.m.) (Ordinance being presented for first reading consideration) - An ordinance adopting the budget of the City of Tampa, Florida for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026, and ending September 30, 2027; Providing for the levy as provided by law of a tax on all taxable property in the City of Tampa and fixing the millage within said City; Making appropriations in accordance with the provisions of said budget; Authorizing and directing the Mayor and City Clerk, as the proper authorities of the City of Tampa to certify to the Property Appraiser of Hillsborough County, Florida, the millage to be levied for all purposes for the Fiscal Year 2027, in the City of Tampa; Providing an effective date.
Background Details
This ordinance adopts the Fiscal Year 2027 annual budget in accordance with requirements set forth under Florida Statutes Chapter 200 and City of Tampa Charter Article VII. Finances. It should be noted that the property tax yield of $396,991,026 represents 95% of taxable value as required under F.S. 200.065(2).Supporting Documents:
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2. B2027-2
Public hearing regarding the Capital Improvement Budget, Fiscal Year 2027.