Beloved events, pickleball courts on the chopping block as Tampa leaders set 2024 budget

TAMPA, Fla. - After hours discussion on cuts and reallocations, Tampa City Council has approved a budget for the 2024 fiscal year. 

The council previously rejected Mayor Jane Castor's double-digit property tax increase, opting instead to keep the millage rate at 6.2. The rate, which was scheduled to decrease by half a mil next year, will instead remain flat for Tampa homeowners. 

By opting not to increase property taxes, the council needed to find a way to make up for some $45 million the mayor’s tax increase would have raised for various public safety, housing, and road projects. 

Council members were able to find the funds through cuts and by re-allocating millions of dollars. 

Increasing spending on affordable housing was a top priority. In 2023, the city dedicated $5.5 million to affordable housing. Over the last two months, housing advocates have lobbied council to boost that budget because of the ongoing housing crisis. 

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"The housing crisis has not left us. You still have people getting evicted. You still have people who can't afford where they live because of rent increases. It's very important housing should be the center point of this budget," Florida Rising Tampa Bay Regional Director Robin Lockett said.

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On Tuesday council approved moving $5 million originally allocated for the city’s reserve fund to increase housing funding to $12 million in 2024.
Funding for Tampa Fire Rescue was also a major focus.

Council plans to dedicate $8 million from the Community Investment Tax to help boost staffing, buy new vehicles, and renovate existing stations. Tampa Fire Rescue will also receive $1.5 million to help build the new Fire Station 24.

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Tampa police will also receive $8 million from the Community Investment Tax. Police Chief Lee Bercaw said they’ve applied for grants that should cover their hiring, training, and equipment needs for 2024. 

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"This accomplishes everything that we need to accomplish, assuming that we get the grant," Bercaw told council members. 

Also at Tuesday's meeting, council passed a motion to move $7 million in parking revenue to be used to pay for road paving.

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Items that wound up on the chopping block include building pickleball courts, a new position within the mayor’s office, and scaling back on certain public events like Boom by the Bay fireworks and the annual River O’ Green festival, both of which receive separate funding through the Downtown Partnership. 

The budget now heads to Mayor Castor’s desk for approval.