[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",5979922,"mediaKeyId","5775771-f2ca7174e7bd7e320b6a0523b5f057f1","parentId",5775771,"title","Commission adopts 2025‑26 budget and millage; fire‑service fee debate continues after split with county","audioSeconds",842,"startMs",9150000,"endMs",9992000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5775771-f2ca7174e7bd7e320b6a0523b5f057f1&start=9150&end=9992","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5775771-f2ca7174e7bd7e320b6a0523b5f057f1/thumbnail_9150000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5979922/Tallahassee/Leon-County/Florida/Commission-adopts-202526-budget-and-millage-fireservice-fee-debate-continues-after-split-with-county","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5979922-7f0dc83b9d72e8b1900a8a8f6a02a6ea/orig.mp4?Expires=1771053676&Signature=i25jvsuTXFgQ~snl1Rm0Zqo4xEpHOklTcM0A5ohQJyPDqsDfkOSQ8pfibqGN7uapYZc8S5ypGVcdKS~yfbgG1s78ywCcSrZ-gfUeOZV~Qxi5kGz0wVp7UL-GbgLx-XfwIQsVyDnDnIpwEfBalVBh~xTyecTkx5o6HMDCcot2zIQ3adL5MdK5GV6CDW5vSdNpCeWF1CjUMC7zJQfaE~koQQvt8HSWnmVJHb29-6UUu1J5fSUapY2UnLXU7P83JLNOO1~p72Y5djEF-JMRVt5SFuPNq847ENWPKZC6iRZcxmlQgWUf08~UjfjecxXmR5tcpvypqkgLi2vuyOS-EEdSYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Tallahassee","date","2025-09-18T00:00:00Z","article","The Tallahassee City Commission adopted the fiscal year 2025‑26 budget and millage on Sept. 17, approving a $942 million operating budget and a $268 million capital improvement plan. The final millage rate for the city was set at 4.4072 mills (4.69% above the rollback rate) and the Downtown Improvement Authority millage at 1 mill. The commission also approved fiscal year funding allocations for human services partnerships and authorized the city manager to execute nonprofit service contracts.

Budget and millage votes: The commission approved the city’s millage 4‑1 (Commissioner Jeremy Matlow cast the lone no) and passed the budget appropriation 4‑1. The human services partnership allocations passed unanimously. Staff said the budget relies in part on measures to find $6 million in savings and efficiencies across departments and includes funds for new police and firefighter positions as outlined in the budget documents.

Fire services fee dispute with Leon County: The budget debate included extended discussion of the fire services fee and a breakdown in negotiations with Leon County. Tallahassee sought to raise a combined fire services assessment to help fund new stations, equipment, and staff — an earlier rate study suggested a larger increase. County negotiators declined to accept the city’s proposed rate increase and moved some billing to property tax administration; according to city staff, the county also changed billing methods for some accounts and there are outstanding amounts under review. Chief Sanders and staff described a staffing proposal that would add 26 firefighter positions focused on the busiest units; the chief said the additional staffing would move the department closer to National Fire Protection Association staffing guidance and could be funded within the city’s assessment for a roughly 9.98% increase to city customers.

Operational impacts and next steps: Commissioners expressed differing views on next steps with county leaders. The commission voted to accept the budget and millage, but later took a separate step to notify the county that the city is prepared to end the interlocal contract for fire service provision when it expires in three years; that formal notice passed 3‑2. City staff said the city remains legally entitled to set its own assessment for services provided inside the city and that the commission is monitoring county actions that could affect long‑term service planning and capital projects such as Fire Station 17 (Lake Bradford Road) and the expansion of Station 15.

Billing and exemptions: Commissioners asked staff to return with details about billing and collections, including implementation timing for faith‑based institutions since some houses of worship will move from exempt status to paid assessments under the new structure. Staff said assessment implementation will be phased and that administrative policies on timing and back‑billing would be followed.

Ending: The budget and millage adoption closes the formal budget process for FY 2025‑26; the discussion over how the city and county will fund and operate fire services is unresolved and scheduled for further follow‑up and negotiation over the coming months.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Commission Meeting - September 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Tallahassee City Commission adopted a $942 million FY2025‑26 operating budget and set the city millage at 4.4072 mills on Sept. 17, while a continuing dispute with Leon County left the new fire services fee and long‑range service arrangements unresolved.","taxTitle","Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida","taxId",38149,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5979927,"City authorizes appraisal of Capital City Golf Course amid concerns about unmarked slave graves and memorialization",1063,4540000,5603000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5775771-f2ca7174e7bd7e320b6a0523b5f057f1&start=4540&end=5603","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5775771-f2ca7174e7bd7e320b6a0523b5f057f1/thumbnail_4540000.jpg","/articles/5979927/Tallahassee/Leon-County/Florida/City-authorizes-appraisal-of-Capital-City-Golf-Course-amid-concerns-about-unmarked-slave-graves-and-memorialization","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5979927-c534d56a2650654d9ba32748b2830a40/orig.mp4?Expires=1771053676&Signature=eUvzB1U~PHkVKoZkSBYKasumoST3hzXOFme~OcHiJdRjSnFTa2A7eMvylpQuQq5Qitih72AY2WEDRUfbT-TlvQmY3G7NzcwiLUzg3g2jOPhyZ3Uz5M4vDDXglvJOfpzIKfIdzhOqtEG6Lw-dmrD47C~O6p8aniHlFYTnkw9hbCzI8m~ZW-T7DpfbW1qryjcCENWadxDcbMN5oNZ-B3KLAv4wSk6xzekxzqZ7lUuhVd4FdwA3fQz9YQ3I26ke7TJ9SSteaDGluM~gdaky0J8zOFKLh85u10EGcdI2fwrYeBNwJmPHGLd2-KmWn7cfCP7MeANYre-AD29iedXIZmtK-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Tallahassee City Commission on Sept. 17 authorized city staff to obtain an independent appraisal of the Capital City Golf Course parcel and to prepare a package for potential future consideration after the Capital City Country Club submitted an unsolicited offer for $1,150,000. City officials emphasized that the vote authorized only preliminary work — an appraisal and staff analysis — and would not finalize any sale without additional review and approvals.

Why it matters: The 170‑plus‑acre course has been leased to the private country club since the 1950s on a long‑term $1‑per‑year lease; the ground is owned by the city. The site also contains an area long identified by advocacy groups and federal investigators as a gravesite with the remains of enslaved and formerly enslaved people tied to an antebellum plantation. Residents and descendants have been seeking a formal memorial and long‑term protections for the burial site.

What the commission approved and what it did not: The commission voted 3‑2 to authorize staff to obtain an appraisal, prepare public notices and run the real‑estate policy process (including review by the real estate committee) and return with a full package and recommendations. Commissioner Williams‑Cox, Mayor Pro Tem and Commissioner Richardson voted in favor; Commissioners Matlow and Porter opposed. City staff and the manager stressed that any sale would be subject to deed restrictions and other contractual protections to preserve the burial site and to prevent future residential development on the course; staff said those protections would be part of any package returned to the commission.

Community concerns: Dozens of residents and local organizations urged the commission not to sell the parcel — or at minimum to exclude the gravesite — and to move more quickly on the memorial plan. Speakers said the National Park Service and local investigators had identified dozens of probable graves, and they repeatedly told commissioners that they had seen no interpretive signage or permanent marker. Delatry Hollinger, a lead advocate on the memorial committee, said the city had accepted a committee’s memorial design five years earlier but had not implemented it; he and other speakers called selling the property ‘‘selling them in death’’ and asked that any memorial be city‑owned and maintained. Residents also questioned the appraisal, asked whether alternatives (city purchase of the clubhouse acreage, bonds, or other partnerships) had been explored, and urged a transparent process with competitive bids.

Staff response and next steps: Assistant City Manager Christian Doolin and staff said the appraisal the club provided used a highest‑and‑best‑use assumption for the property as a golf course and that the city’s appraisal would be independent. Staff confirmed they would seek deed restrictions to preserve both the memorial area and the golf use “in perpetuity” if a sale were considered; the city attorney said deed restrictions and other mechanisms could achieve perpetual protections. Staff also said the real‑estate process requires internal and public notices, review by the real estate committee, and a future commission vote. The commission’s authorization tonight covered only the appraisal and preparation of a package for future consideration.

Ending: Commissioners said they wanted answers on valuation, the club’s financing needs, and the city’s progress on memorializing the burial site before proceeding further; staff will return with the appraisal and a full procurement and protection package for commission review.","The commission authorized staff to obtain an appraisal and prepare a proposal to consider sale of the city‑owned golf course land after the Capital City Country Club asked to purchase the ground; residents and advocacy groups urged the city to protect an identified unmarked burial site of enslaved people and to keep the site publicly owned.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5979932,"Tallahassee commission transmits comp‑plan update after heated debate over lake protection and neighborhood rules",4817,3103000,7920000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5775771-f2ca7174e7bd7e320b6a0523b5f057f1&start=3103&end=7920","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5775771-f2ca7174e7bd7e320b6a0523b5f057f1/thumbnail_3103000.jpg","/articles/5979932/Tallahassee/Leon-County/Florida/Tallahassee-commission-transmits-compplan-update-after-heated-debate-over-lake-protection-and-neighborhood-rules","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5979932-b14fd0a9c35b33202f0edd3158982c0a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771053676&Signature=mABak7nt08VsGrBnNYe0MHg~UghDXtiVMyuy6pHQ4IGUG7KLM00Q-~XTL3JGupsR3UdAl9m1rJg-siznKv~oxnlPW97UK5UhAikA8FZQYFwqvLY3YcQxsBvpMFAp~gAzs7RbwaKho7SaZOL~quU7j~UtMUSiptOewFwK-N8jhDviePtNhmavFLEOLCt~eoz0p0J926m1PRMdVHD8ii9V1gNdGntGZEF0~2AYP6T6Vxir-U77BxBEsiFVkRx5Uq6Pb~5b8rN0NVUahEMNfR59zsZlk0RJ5opGpGzAI-91EsHaoSLNLc5x5qpblNngp2NIejQaxu~heo~MmYh5H8GA2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Tallahassee City Commission transmitted a draft update of the city’s comprehensive plan to state reviewers on Sept. 17 after a 3‑2 vote that followed hours of public comment and commissioner debate about neighborhood protections and a proposed expansion of the urban service area near Lake Jackson. The transmittal starts a 30‑day review by state agencies; staff said they expect additional revisions after agency comments. The vote followed weeks of meetings and a summer promise from the mayor to give neighborhoods extra time to review the rewrite.

Why it matters: The document guides growth, zoning and stormwater rules through 2050; changes to the residential preservation rules or the urban service area (USA) could affect development density and whether properties are eligible for sewer and other urban services. Neighbors and lake advocates said the draft as transmitted still leaves major questions about how eligibility and density bonuses would be measured and how the USA expansion could affect water quality in Lake Jackson.

Commissioners and staff framed the decision as one step in an ongoing process. Planning Director Mike Alfano told commissioners the draft reflects statutory changes and technical edits; it carries one notable change the commission asked for in August — the city kept the existing residential preservation future‑land‑use category wording rather than the new urban/suburban split that had alarmed neighborhood groups. Alfano also said several state reviewers requested map clarifications and caps on density bonuses; he and Growth Management Director Artie White said some USA changes reflect parcel‑level consistency (parcels split by an existing boundary) rather than a policy decision to encourage development near the lake.

Neighborhood leaders and environmental groups urged the commission not to transmit until the city and county had further harmonized the USA and lake‑protection language. Vivian Young of 1000 Friends of Florida and Neil Fleckenstein of Tall Timbers Research Station asked the commission to revert urban service and lake protection language to the currently adopted plan and to treat any USA expansion as a stand‑alone amendment with full fiscal and environmental analysis. Several residents who live near Meridian Road and Lake Jackson said they discovered the scale of the proposed USA expansion only shortly before the meeting and told commissioners the community needed more time to evaluate stormwater and traffic impacts.

Commission debate split along similar lines. Commissioner Curtis Richardson supported transmission, saying the process must advance to get state feedback and because changes can be refined after review. Commissioner Jeremy Matlow said he had supported a longer public review and moved to delay transmittal; Matlow and Commissioner Jack Porter voted against the motion to transmit. Mayor John E. Dailey and Mayor Pro Tem (acting) voted to transmit. Dailey said the city needs the state’s comments to resolve disputes about stormwater and density; Matlow argued the USA expansion near Lake Jackson needs additional local scrutiny first.

Staff next steps and timeline: Alfano said the city will forward the transmitted materials to state reviewers and expects formal agency comments within 30 days; the county will receive a status update Nov. 18, and staff anticipates returning to the commission with an adoption timetable and revised maps around mid‑November.

Public input remains open: Commissioners and staff said the vote did not adopt the plan — it only sends the draft to state reviewers for formal comments. Staff and neighborhood groups agreed to continue meetings to refine definitions for “stability” and nonconformities, how accessory dwelling units count toward density, and how any density bonuses will be capped or implemented.

Ending: The commission’s vote moved the plan into the state review process, but major disputes — especially over Lake Jackson and the precise rules for protecting existing neighborhoods — remain unresolved and will be addressed in the months ahead as state and local reviews continue.","The City Commission voted 3‑2 to transmit a comprehensive plan update to state reviewers after weeks of neighborhood pushback over proposed changes to the residential preservation category and a possible expansion of the urban service area near Lake Jackson.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5979916,"Tallahassee Memorial and FSU announce memorandum; city schedules public briefings and public hearings",4354,2814000,7168000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5775771-f2ca7174e7bd7e320b6a0523b5f057f1&start=2814&end=7168","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5775771-f2ca7174e7bd7e320b6a0523b5f057f1/thumbnail_2814000.jpg","/articles/5979916/Tallahassee/Leon-County/Florida/Tallahassee-Memorial-and-FSU-announce-memorandum-city-schedules-public-briefings-and-public-hearings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5979916-bb5debeaaf5aedfcfd1ae0dce9ae4879/orig.mp4?Expires=1771053676&Signature=k1lTuUh9Htv-qSmn1gtpc5yoIjBb7aBXamHiEPRQupYf6ld68aIyadYBasroX6F2et1drXzkNc603LDLMEu7aCveGJcbD5yH6QKbdzLhVBQyK9~yEARBJUiX~zrxuPMFkraBrt2oC37rk0xeCseu9RdMZUcsXHRjIbG8~h~56Mr-h3NhBnU7V0IItrjtojq2ZddJVZzbjlMJ~NOjIsB6rWr67BBBJwohKRCZ2fZIXSP89HwPEEon238SCQUfxcgfVKduncb81K0KeSl~E5ycNY3khvg8gNDapyZI3A6e5Ts3tuM4XFO8qYPqCeYb2aeZMLRjVZkJrpVUJ7UZ9~EGLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare (TMH) and Florida State University notified the City Commission of a memorandum of understanding to explore a partnership to create an academic health center. City leaders scheduled two public events to receive presentations and public comment: a special briefing at 9 a.m. on Oct. 1 and a second public hearing at 6 p.m. on Oct. 22.

Why it matters: TMH is a major city‑owned health asset; discussions about partnering with a state university could change governance, ownership structure and the hospital’s role as a clinical and teaching site. The topic attracted immediate attention from commissioners and the public, and staff scheduled the presentations to provide an early public forum.

What the commission will do next: The commission received an initial letter and set the two public sessions to allow TMH and FSU to present the MOU and for the public to ask questions. Commissioners discussed possible next steps and public processes, including public hearings and, by some commissioners’ recommendation, the potential of ballot referral if the city were to consider selling ownership interests. However, members were split on timing and process; several commissioners said they wanted more information before deciding whether a referendum or other public‑engagement process would be appropriate.

Staff role: City staff scheduled the meetings and will provide background materials and follow‑up analysis; the October sessions will be open to public comment. TMH and FSU representatives are expected to present details about the draft MOU and the proposed timeline.

Ending: The MOU is an exploratory step; the commission did not make any decision about governance, sale or transfer of the hospital. Commissioners asked staff to present options for public engagement and next steps at the scheduled sessions so they can consider how to proceed in the months ahead.","Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare and Florida State University presented a memorandum of understanding to the commission; the city scheduled a special morning briefing and an evening public hearing to receive presentations and public comment on the proposed academic partnership.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commission adopts 2025‑26 budget and millage; fire‑service fee debate continues after split with county

City authorizes appraisal of Capital City Golf Course amid concerns about unmarked slave graves and memorialization

Tallahassee commission transmits comp‑plan update after heated debate over lake protection and neighborhood rules

Tallahassee Memorial and FSU announce memorandum; city schedules public briefings and public hearings