TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) - Tallahassee city commissioners approve a budget of $706 million at Thursday night's meeting.
That's including the planned funding of 18 new police officers, as well as another 15 funded by a federal grant, which commissioners say they were unaware the city even applied for.
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice awarded TPD with a nearly $1.9 million grant, allowing them to fund 15 new officers for three years.
The catch? The city has to fund the officers for a fourth year.
This comes after Tallahassee Police had already made a request for 18 officers, two of those are investigators.
Mayor Andrew Gillum said he was aware of the grant, even though it was a last minute addition to the meeting's agenda.
The city says by partially funding the federal grant, they estimate it will cost taxpayers around $4 million.
As for the city property tax, leaders approved a 13 percent increase. A proposal for a 27 percent increase was brought forward earlier this year.
Commissioners say the new rate will help generate an extra $6.3 million in revenue, which will support the hiring of the 18 police officers the department initially requested.
