Tallahassee community members address city budget at community forum

Tallahassee, FL – On the afternoon of June 22, the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC) hosted a Community Forum at the LeRoy Collins Leon County Main Public Library. About 20 community members came to the event that was held in preparation for the city commission candidate forum which will take place in July.

Topics covered included LGBTQ rights, city budget allocation, policing, food insecurity, and affordable housing. In discussion of almost all issues, attendees made it clear that the city’s largest issues, such as lack of proper public transportation, could be addressed by reducing the over-inflated policing budget. As of 2021, more than one third of the city’s budget is allocated towards policing, with increases being approved as recently as last September.

Robert Lee, a member of Food Not Bombs, addressed this by stating “Bus passes are expensive for people without a stable income. Tallahassee used to have so many more bus stops and shaded areas for our houseless neighbors, and they’re all gone. Our city sees building a $135 million police station as more important than taking care of its residents in this intense summer heat.”

Also mentioned was a desire for more funding for the arts, especially after two tornadoes destroyed many businesses in the local art district, Railroad Square, last month. Malia Bruker, a member of the Tallahassee Bail Fund, stated “DeSantis just cut $32 million of state funding for the arts. There is a beautiful artistic community in this city, I help teach dance in the summer to local youth. Plenty of organizations and programs exist here, but how can they do anything without funding?”

Attendees included members of the Tallahassee Bail Fund, the Florida Green Party, Food Not Bombs, Industrial Workers of the World, and the Trinity United Methodist church.

TCAC will be hosting a candidate forum on July 20 to bring these issues to candidates for City Commission Seats 1 and 2.

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