TAMPA, Fla. — On a rainy Wednesday evening, it would have been easier to stay home.
Dozens of Tampa citizens, however, showed up at the Police Athletic League gym off Rome Avenue because they care about the future of their city.
“I’m a citizen that’s concerned and putting my voice here and my time,” said Brenda Clark, one of the people who showed up.
They were there to learn more about Mayor Jane Castor’s budget request for the next fiscal year. People like Clark and her friend, Regina Polite-Warren, also showed up to ensure the next budget will fix some of Tampa’s most pressing issues.
“I want to make sure that we’re getting a bang for our buck,” Polite-Warren said.
The big issue that interested Clark and several others is sidewalks. Clark said she wants to see more near her home, which is located near Busch Gardens.
“We’ve been neglected far too long,” she said.
Castor explained to the crowded gym that her $1.9 billion budget would add 18 miles of sidewalks, fill potholes, spur more affordable housing, improve aging parks, and bolster public safety.
The budget, however, calls for a millage increase. For the average homeowner, it would mean an additional $19 each month.
“This will allow us to get our head above water in those areas that are important to the community,” Castor said.
People who ABC Action News talked to at the meeting were generally okay with that tax hike if they saw visible improvements.
However, that’s not to say there isn’t skepticism. Watchdog Stephanie Poynor, a vocal neighborhood leader from Tampa's South of Gandy area, still has doubts that all of the city’s wishes will come true.
“I completely support the millage increase if we are very, very laser-focused on where the funding goes,” she said.
She would like to see the city make a better effort to explain the budget line-by-line.
To learn more about what the mayor’s budget would include, click here.
Tampa City Council is expected to vote on the budget next month.
