News & Public Affairs

Citizens weigh in on Pinellas County steep budget cuts listen

03/04/10 Concetta DeLuco
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Tags: Pinellas County, County Commission, budget, budget cuts, Sheriff's Office

In the face of a steep budget cut, Pinellas County citizens and government officials came together last night. The first of three budget meetings to discuss the county’s options was held at Palm Harbor University High School. The result was mixed views and heated debates.

Pinellas County faces a $60 million budget cut for the 2011 fiscal year which begins this October 1st. County Administrator, Robert LaSala, said the deficit comes from less property tax revenue, the main source of income ...

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At Tiger Bay Bill Foster addresses chase policy, BayWalk, budget listen

02/23/10 Seán Kinane
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Tags: St. Petersburg, Bill Foster, Tiger Bay Club, Homelessness, police, budget, Baywalk

Last week, the St. Petersburg city administration and police department suggested loosening the city’s police chase policy. A new policy would allow police vehicles to pursue some fleeing car thieves and burglars. It was the first subject residents wanted to hear about at Tuesday’s Suncoast Tiger Bay Club meeting featuring St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster.

*The slight modificati...

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County Commission Lets White Abstain from Lawsuit Vote listen

02/03/10 Kate Bradshaw
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Tags: Kevin White, Rose Ferlita, sexual harrassment. lawsuit, County Commission, County funds, budget

Nearly two weeks ago, the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners voted six to one to sue Commissioner Kevin White for $425,000 in legal fees associated with a sexual harassment suit filed against White by former aide Alyssa Ogden in 2008. White cast the sole “no” vote.

Republican Chris Ingram then filed an ethics complaint against the democratic commissioner, citing state law requiring public officials to abstain from voting on matters that concern them financially. Today, the board r...

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St. Pete Budget Hearing

09/18/09 Kate Bradshaw
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Tags: St. Petersburg City Council, St. Petersburg fire department, St. Petersburg politics, budget, Budget Cutbacks, Rick Baker, Wengay Newton, 2010 Budget, Kathleen Ford

After months of wrangling, the St. Petersburg City Council approved its 2010 budget yesterday. The slim budget was met with praise, but not everyone was happy.

After nearly two hours of listening to public comments and ironing out a few remaining details, the St. Petersburg City Council passed its 2010 budget 7-1. It was the last budget over which outgoing Mayor Rick Baker presided, and also one of the tightest, as the mayor noted.

Council members and a handful of commenters commended ...

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Iorio lays out lean budget listen

08/06/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Pam Iorio, Tampa, budget

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio introduced her 2010 budget to the City Council this morning, a budget nearly 10% smaller than a year ago.

In a sobering analysis, the Mayor referred to the employee layoffs that began a couple of years ago, but said despite the cuts the city government has not lost the ability to do any of its essential services.

Declining property values and tax collections have left the city with a $51 million dollar budget deficit. Iorio detailed how she has addressed that ga...

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Despite massive deficit Hillsborough County Commission lowers property tax rate listen

07/30/09 Seán Kinane
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Tags: Hillsborough County Commission, budget

Despite facing huge budget cuts, the Hillsborough County Commission today voted to slightly reduce the property tax rate. The reduction will lower a typical homeowner’s bill by about twenty-four cents, resulting in a further $100,000 decline in county revenue.

The commissioners approved a combined general revenue operating fund and environmentally sensitive lands debt service tax rate of about $5.80 per $1,000 of a property’s taxable value. Some c...

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Tempers flare as Hillsborough Commission discusses executive pay raises listen

06/18/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Hillsborough County Commission, salaries, wage increases, economy, budget, deficit

A week after it was reported that some of Hillsborough County Administrator Pat Bean’s top assistants received raises, the issue was revisited again today by County Commissioner Kevin Beckner.

Saying he wanted to control his anger, the freshman lawmaker said he needed more understanding about why such an issue happened at a time when Commissioners are dealing with a deficit of more than $100 million that could lead to more than 500 employees being laid off.

Beckner called for an inde...

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Ken Welch on Pinellas economy, listen

06/16/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Pinellas County Commission, budget, economy, deficit, Ken Welch

Pinellas County Commissioners are conducting their public hearing portion of their meeting this afternoon.

Over the weekend, WMNF spoke with Commissioner Ken Welch about the economic woes Pinellas is undergoing. He says the county is staring at a deficit of at least $110 million.

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Hillsborough honcho gets backlash over raises for staffers listen

06/11/09 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: Hillsborough County Commission, economy, budget, Pat Bean, salaries, raises

Hillsborough County Adminstrator Pat Bean got a smackdown today at a county budget hearing today regarding recent pay raises for some of her top assistants.

It came as the Commission met to try to find a way to cut $144 million from next year’s budget. It also came a day and a half after hundreds of citizens packed the County’s chambers begging that certain services not be cut next year.

Commissioner Kevin Beckner brought the issue up, which was first reported in today’s *St. Petersburg...

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Florida Virtual School supporters worry about funding listen

04/21/09 Seán Kinane
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Tags: Politics, education, budget

Not all students in Florida take all of their courses in a classroom. Many take some or all of their classes online through the Florida Virtual School. But some supporters gathered in Tallahassee today to ask state Legislature not to cut millions of dollars of funding from the online program.

Pam Birtolo, chief learning officer at Florida Virtual School, spoke with WMNF before the rally.

Florida Virtual School

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