TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — In the first of two public hearings to look at the proposed budget for the 2026 fiscal year, city commissioners looked at a new 10% fire fee increase after a previous increase was knocked down by the county.
City commissioners say they need to adopt a budget soon and they can no longer wait.
- City commissioners voted to move forward with a 10% fire service fee increase.
- Commissioners argued they could not afford to wait for the county before acting on their budget. Others said the city should do more to negotiate the higher fee.
- TPD also presented findings from the city's school speed zone safety initiative.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Tallahassee city commissioners have approved a revised 10% increase in the fire service fee, which is significantly lower than the previously proposed 22% hike earlier this year.
The earlier proposal was rejected by Leon County Commissioners, who cited concerns about the financial burden on taxpayers.
The approved increase passed in a 3–2 vote with Commissioners Porter and Matlow oppposed.
Before the vote, Mayor John Dailey said, "The county decided not to move forward. We are not going to build the new fire station. We are not going to do the expansion of the fire station, and quite frankly, we cannot do it without the support of the county. But we are going to fully fund the budget that pays our firefighters negotiated wages that we spent so long working on. And I will be the first to say yes."
The increase will cost approximately $2 extra per month for most residents.
The updated budget includes funding to hire 26 additional firefighters, who will be assigned to some of the city’s busiest fire stations. The city currently employs around 300 fire personnel.
Meanwhile, plans to move forward with the long-awaited Southside fire station near Lake Bradford Road are once again delayed.
Although hiring has already begun and the design for a 3-bay station is underway, disagreements over coverage areas and funding have stalled progress.
The site is located within city limits but would primarily serve unincorporated areas of the county, raising questions about who should be responsible for its costs.
The second public hearing on the fiscal year 2026 budget is scheduled for September 17, and commissioners say a budget needs to be adopted by October 1.
Results from School Speed Zone Safety Program presented
In addition to talking about fire service fees, Tallahassee Police school zone speed cameras.
The annual report on school zone speed enforcement was revealed, and since its launch in March, the program has recorded 6,629 violations across just two speed zones over a four-month period.
By the end of June, 4,356 of those violations had been paid, generating $435,600 in revenue. These funds were distributed among five entities.
The speed zones enforce a 15 mph limit during designated hours, 30 minutes before and after school hours on school days only, excluding weekends and holidays.
Revenue retained by the city will support the School Crossing Guard Program and other public safety initiatives.
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