TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Mayor Jane Castor presented her proposed budget for fiscal year 2025 to city council on Thursday, putting a focus on what she calls “community values.”
The $1.8 billion budget includes plans to maintain levels of service that the city is already providing to its growing population. Notably, it does not include a change in the property tax rate like last fiscal year’s proposed budget did.
The proposed budget for fiscal year 2025, which starts on Oct. 1, is driven by five key strategies the mayor detailed in a news release:
- Maintaining and improving infrastructure
- Strengthening services for residents
- Enhancing workforce affordability
- Improving housing affordability
- Focusing on sustainability and resilience
During the meeting, Castor admitted that the proposed budget fails to address some of Tampa’s “gaps and growth challenges,” like the housing demand and growing list of maintenance projects. Still, the mayor said her staff found a way to “accomplish more with less.”
“Between 2019 and 2023 we saw a nearly 40% increase in cost for many of the goods and services that we purchase as a city,” the mayor said in a statement. “The good news: Tampa’s economy is strong. Our inflation is now a low 1.8%”
The proposed budget includes funding for new and renovated fire stations as well as salary increases for police officers, firefighters and other unionized employees.
It also sets aside funding for housing, services to accelerate home ownership and initiatives to reduce violent crime.
As far as sustainability and resilience, the proposed budget includes funding to address heat vulnerability, install solar panels and transition some city fleets to electric vehicles.
"This budget represents our commitment to the community values that make Tampa one of the 'World’s Greatest Places,' according to TIME Magazine. By maintaining current service levels while strategically planning for the future, we will ensure a high quality of life for all Tampa residents,” Castor said.
The proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year is $57.6 million more than the budget for fiscal year 2024.
Because the mayor says, “revenues have risen by about the same amount as our costs,” the city plans to pursue federal and state grants to help cover projects not included in the budget.
Tampa City Council will review the proposed budget and hold hearings for community feedback over the next few months before voting on it.
