Temple Terrace presents $2.26 million in proposed CIT capital spending, highlights public-safety and parks needs

City of Temple Terrace leaders on Friday presented a preliminary fiscal‑year 2026 capital budget that would use $2,259,588 of Community Investment Tax dollars for parks, public safety, library, information‑technology and stormwater projects.

The spending preview matters because the Community Investment Tax, a half‑cent sales tax renewed by voters for another 15 years, is the primary source for the proposed capital purchases. "The CIT ... is a half cent sales tax that has been on the books for about 30 years, was recently renewed by the voters for another 15 years," the city manager said at the start of the workshop.

City staff told the council the draft plan front‑loads repair and replacement of aging infrastructure and equipment. Major items presented include $250,000 to replace the River Hills playground, $75,000 for a complete restroom renovation at the public library, vehicle replacements for police and public safety equipment purchases, and several family‑recreation upgrades such as turf installation adjacent to the Family Rec Center playground.

Public‑safety items shown on the slides included replacement patrol vehicles, a Polaris off‑road side‑by‑side for park and event patrols and a breaching tool described as a "critical safety element" for police. Fire‑department capital proposals included a battalion chief vehicle and annual replacement sets of bunker gear; staff noted they are moving toward bunker gear without PFAS treatments as alternatives become available.

Parks and recreation proposals included replacement of the River Hills playground (the item was presented as an accessible, higher‑cost installation), shade structures and camera upgrades at the Family Rec Complex, resurfacing of Linwood Park trail and fence and light improvements at Ridgetale Sports Complex. Staff proposed a $20,000 shade‑structure replacement at the splash pad, $55,000 to replace an air‑conditioning unit in the gymnastics area and $50,000 to install turf near the Family Rec drop‑off area.

On information technology, staff proposed fiber connections between the new utilities building and the emergency‑operations center, a telephone system upgrade (budgeted at $92,000 total after carryover), and a $5,000 interactive welcome screen for City Hall. The presentation also included continued facility renovations and an upgraded council‑chambers playback server.

Stormwater funding and planning were also noted. Staff included a $200,000 allocation for a stormwater master plan and multiple stormwater maintenance and pipelining items in the street improvement fund. "The next item is the stormwater master plan, which we discussed last week. $200,000 ... through CIT funds," the city manager said when summarizing the CIT requests.

City staff said the proposed CIT spending would reduce the CIT fund balance from an anticipated $2.4 million at the end of the current fiscal year to roughly $1.8 million at the end of fiscal 2026 based on projects presented Friday, but that level would remain above council reserve targets. The presentation repeatedly described the budget as preliminary and contingent on several external items, including final state hurricane‑related funding decisions.

Staff said they would return with more detailed project sheets at the council's next workshop and stressed that many projects were equipment purchases that can be ordered quickly if council approves them, while larger construction projects will require design, bidding and potentially longer lead times.

The council did not take any formal votes during the workshop; the presentation was a staff workshop and the items remain draft until future council action.