Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn today unveiled his fiscal year 2014 budget, an $831 million document that includes the first pay raise for non-unionized employees since the recession brought a dramatic reduction of revenues to the city's coffers.
As per usual, It was an extremely upbeat presentation by Buckhorn. He began by laying out some of the major economic development projects underway currently — the renovation of the former federal courthouse into a boutique hotel called Le Meridien; the Epicurean Hotel in South Tampa conceived by the owners of Bern's Steak House, and more recent news like the acquisition of the Indian International Film Awards and new direct international flights to Panama.
As predicted, the mayor is attempting to address the recent crisis in the city's code enforcement department by providing funding for two new positions this year and two positions next year. Five solid waste environmental inspectors will also be cross-trained to write code enforcement citations, adding up to an additional nine officers in all.
This article appears in Jul 25-31, 2013.