La Gaceta: Tampa mayor's proposed tax increase is actually 30%

Mayor Jane Castor is proposing a City budget that requires a one mill increase in property taxes. That additional mill, plus the increase in property values, equates to a 30.39 % tax increase.

In 2015, then-Mayor Bob Buckhorn proposed a City of Tampa budget of $876 million. Mayor Jane Castor proposed a budget last week of $1.92 billion. That is more than double and an increase of over $1 billion in just eight years.

That is unsustainable spending growth for Tampa’s taxpayers.

Without a mileage increase, the City would take in $38,484,158 in property taxes. That is a 12.3 % increase from last year. If a 12.3 % increase in taxes isn't enough, then the mayor has created a problem that she wants us to bail her out of. Could spending $120 million on City offices on Hannah Ave with no competitive bidding cause this issue? Is the $41 million planned park in East Tampa that will not go out for competitive bid be the problem? Could it be the 8 % raise the mayor gave to police is the problem? How about the growth in nonessential staff?

Our mayor has always been on the winning side of taxation. She has received more taxes then she paid in her job in law enforcement, law enforcement consulting and as mayor. She never really had a business that had to make payroll. In her world, if you spend too much, you just ask for more money.

She sits on boards—but was absent for votes—that recently approved outrageous pay for our port director to make $800,000 and approved over $1 million to pay Tampa International Airport's top executive, making him the highest paid airport boss in America. Handing out big raises is easy when it isn't your money.

The mayor says this additional millage we'll go to transportation. There is no guarantee of this once the money goes into the general fund.

Also, none of it will be used for mass transit. Instead, it will be used for roads.

And roads are needed, but the City has not shown itself to be prudent in spending. No bid contracts, overruns of costs and lack of transparency should not earn you a blank check. That's what she wants from the taxpayers and City Council. We don't want to give it to her. Last year, the City took in over 15 % more in property taxes. If a 12.3 % increase in taxes isn't enough this year, then stop spending money we don't have.

This column originally appeared at La Gaceta, Tampa's tri-lingual, more than century-old newspaper.

UPDATED: 08/21/23 Updated because Tampa Mayor Jane Castor was absent for votes that raised pay for leaders at the port and Tampa International Airport.

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