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After Deep Cutbacks, Tampa's Operating Budget May Grow

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By MIKE SALINERO The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 8, 2008

TAMPA - Whether it's fixing potholes or protecting neighborhoods from crime, Tampa residents will continue to get needed services despite city layoffs and property tax reductions, Mayor Pam Iorio pledged Thursday.

Iorio's comments came during her 2009 budget presentation to the City Council. The mayor projects spending $836 million next fiscal year, a 9.8 percent increase over fiscal year 2008.

The operating budget, which is financed through taxes and includes services such as police, fire and recreation, will increase by 2 percent to $423 million.

Noting the city had eliminated 107 positions this year and has seen property tax reductions of $28 million over the past two years, Iorio credited city employees with figuring out ways to do more with less.

"Our attitude is going to be: We're not going to complain; we're just going to roll up our sleeves and meet the challenges," she said. "The public will come first."

Iorio said residents' highest priority is public safety. Her budget reflects that with 49 percent, or $207 million, of the operating budget slated for police and fire protection.

The city will continue to have the highest police-officer-to-resident ratio of surrounding jurisdictions, a factor Iorio said resulted in a 42 percent drop in crime over the past five years. The city has 2.95 officers for every 1,000 residents compared with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, which has 1.7 officers per 1,000 residents.

The mayor took the unusual step of using the budget presentation to lobby the council to hold the line on pay increases for firefighters. Negotiations between the administration and the firefighters union on a new contract broke down, and the matter went to a special magistrate.

The magistrate recommended firefighters accept the city's offer of a 3 percent cost-of-living raise and a 3.5 percent merit increase. Firefighters want a 5 percent cost-of-living raise and a 5 percent merit increase.

"This is just not affordable," Iorio told the council.

The council will make the final decision on firefighter raises at a public hearing at 10 a.m. Aug. 22.

The mayor's budget includes more than $1 billion in new construction using borrowed money that will be paid back over a number of years with proceeds from the Community Investment Tax, a sales tax passed by voters in 1996.

The new construction would include $150 million in water system improvements, $40 million in drainage work and $20 million for a wastewater force main on 12th Street. Work on a fire station in New Tampa will begin in the coming year at a cost of $2 million.

In addition, these parks and recreation projects will be completed in the coming year:

•Ballast Point pier to get $1.91 million.

•Bayshore rail, or balustrade, with supports, $582,178.

•Cotanchobee-Heroes Park, $2.34 million.

•Cyrus Greene Pool to get $912,159.

•MacFarlane Park Freedom Playground, $191,568.

•New Tampa and North Tampa fields and parks to get $2.75 million.

•New Tampa Community Center, $1.96 million.

•Springhill Park Community Center, $2.83 million.

•Seminole (Heights) Garden Center, $1.42 million.

•Wellswood ball field lighting, $854,537.

The mayor also proposes spending $7.5 million in improvements to neighborhoods, including street resurfacing, traffic calming, signs and sidewalks. The neighborhood expenditure is a 15.5 percent increase over last year.

Councilman John Dingfelder said the budget contained "nothing interesting" but was appropriate given the recent tax rollbacks.

"We're definitely tightening our belt because that's what you have to do," he said.

Dingfelder said he disagreed with the mayor's cheery assessment of employee morale after the job reductions.

"I talk to the guys out in the parks who have been hit very hard by this," Dingfelder said. "Their workload has increased tremendously and it's difficult for them to get everything done that needs to be done."

The City Council will hold public hearings on the budget Sept. 10 and 24. Both meetings start at 5 p.m.

To view the entire budget, go to www.tampagov.net; a link to the budget is at the top of the page.

Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303 or msalinero@tampatrib.com.

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