Buckhorn's proposed budget cuts spare workers, services

TAMPA Mayor Bob Buckhorn said Monday he will close a $34.5 million shortfall in next year's budget without laying off city employees, raising property taxes or diminishing services.

Through a number of steps, including raising the TECO franchise tax, "We have reduced that $30 million to a revised shortfall of $6 million," Buckhorn said. "It took yeoman's work; that $30 million is now something that is far more manageable."

The remaining $6 million will come from the city's reserve fund, he said.

The TECO franchise tax increase will generate $7 million in new revenues and will raise the average household's monthly electric bill by $1.40.

Other revenue and savings will come from better-than-anticipated property valuations ($1.5 million), citations from new red light cameras ($2 million), collection of unpaid code violations and emergency management service transport fees ($2 million), and about $9 million in savings from the current year's budget.

Buckhorn said he will eliminate 21 vacant positions but no current employees will be pink-slipped. Tampa residents will see no diminishment of city services such as street cleaning, garbage pickup or road paving as a result of the budget cuts, he said.

City council members contacted Monday were mostly pleased with the mayor's budget.

"Considering how bad the economy is now, to not lose jobs within the city and for us not to have to tap into the reserves more than he did is a great accomplishment," said Councilman Mike Suarez.

The $6 million withdrawal from the reserve fund will leave $102 million on hand for emergencies.

Councilwoman Mary Mulhern said she was happy that Buckhorn was able to avoid layoffs and that he wants to collect more on fines assessed for code violations.

"This is something I've been pushing for probably four years -- to go forward more aggressively with code enforcement and all those outstanding charges," Mulhern said.

The City Council will hold a budget workshop Thursday morning. The mayor will formally present his budget to the council July 28.

City employees will be eligible for step and merit pay increases under the mayor's proposed budget, but not cost-of-living adjustments.

Buckhorn, who was backed in his runoff campaign by the three unions representing city workers, said the employees' contracts call for the increases and they deserve them. He cited a 60 percent drop in crime over the last eight years -- a decrease that translates into 100,000 fewer victims -- as proof of the hard work police have performed during that time.

"That's a cost I'm willing to take a hit for," he said.

Mayor Pam Iorio, facing similar budget challenges, froze wages and step/merit increases in fiscal year 2010, prompting a showdown with the police union. She reinstated step plans, but not cost-of-living raises, in fiscal year 2011.

Here are some of the other savings and revenue increases Buckhorn anticipates:

• Eliminating vacant positions, consolidating positions, eliminating some pre-employment screening, $3 million;

• Buying police vehicles using community investment tax instead of utility tax, $2 million;

• Better-than-expected revenue from Tampa Convention Center, $2 million.

Buckhorn hopes his administration's efforts to downsize government without harmful service cutbacks or layoffs will play well when he visits New York bond rating agencies this week. Tampa currently has a AA bond rating, which city leaders hope to maintain to keep borrowing costs low.

"This is the kind of message they want to hear," he said.