TAMPA, Fla. — Mayor Jane Castor presented the proposed budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year to Tampa City Council Thursday, with an emphasis on strengthening resident services, workforce development and increasing housing affordability.
The theme of the budget is centered around Resilient Tampa and the development of long-term plans and investments for the future of Tampa, the city announced in a news release.
Continuing the trend from years past, Castor is devoting $5.5 million in general fund money and $20 million overall for housing-related services. In the last three years, the city of Tampa has committed more than $100 million to that sector.
According to the city, "one of the biggest drivers in this year’s budget is the new contracts with the City of Tampa’s three unions, who represent most of the City’s workforce." This includes the approved raises of 18.5 percent over the next three years for police, firefighters and transit workers.
“I felt it was important to stand behind the men and women who serve our residents so well,” Castor said in a statement. “To keep us resilient, we need to be able to recruit and retain the talent we have. Like the families we serve every day across Tampa, city employees are also facing higher costs of living. This pay increase is not only well deserved, but necessary.”
Areas where the city plans to improve include
- Strengthening resident services
- Enhancing workforce development
- Increasing housing affordability
- Improving infrastructure and mobility
- Establishing sustainability and resilience within the city
The city hopes to speed up construction and save money by proposing the addition of two construction crews to handle routine water pipeline work, rather than relying on private sector contractors, the city of Tampa says.
In addition, Tampa is in the works to create transit corridors to improve transportation across the city, connecting the Westshore District to Downtown and continuing to the University area.
Continuing the city's clean energy initiative, Castor said the city also "intends to install hundreds of new solar panels and implement new energy savings programs."
According to the city, Tampa has an "outstanding" credit rating. This helps with stretching dollars far wider than other communities are able to, the city says.
"A crucial part of that is maintaining more than 22 percent of the city’s budget in reserves, a practice Tampa will continue in 2023," the city says.
Castor says she hopes to work with Tampa City Council and finalize the budget.