The city's idea of what is more important than public safety

Compiled below are salient facts derived from the City’s own budgets posted on the www.ci.pensacola.fl.us website. Officers need to wake up and fight back with specific data to prove the point that the city finances are not in peril and their own budgetary spending proves quite the opposite. If the city is so broke that they must strip officers of everything including pay and safety of numbers then how can they afford the following pork barrel spending practices:

Library System:
Library Headquarters improvements: $600,000 in 2009 and proposed operating expenses increase of $42,600 for 2010
2009 had a personnel services net increase of $77,200
Let’s not forget that they added a “Westside” branch that was only 1.3 miles from the main branch. It cost $340,400 to operate this branch for 2009 and there is a projected cost of $363,600 for 2010.
New Tryon Branch Library
Est. Cost: $1,372,106 for the building alone according to permits and this does not count anything else
Est Sq ft: 11,540 according to permits
A library that is twice as big means more cost to run and also 6 new staff positions and with employees moving there will be a net increase of 3 positions at this library and will result in a net increase of $135,900 in costs and operating expenses grew by $96,300 of which $36,000 is a onetime expenditure of new computers according to 2009 FY budget documents.
And they are trying to build another “Westside” library in 2014 to the tune of $1,500,000

Sanders Beach Community Center:
Est Cost: $2,195,150 according to permits but all told the bill came to around 4.4 million according to the PNJ
Est Sq Ft: 21,500 according to permits

Plaza De Luna:
Complete with Bronze Statue, Pavers, Water fountain with interactive water jets concession stand and free Wi-Fi

Golf Course:
This black hole of pork spending saw a 2009 increase of operating expenses of $15,500 due to rising energy costs. $33,000 from the penny for progress fund was used for a mower and a roof in 2009. In 2010 the city is still spending a total of $5,138,600 on the Municipal Golf course with a proposed $34,000 for equipment purchased from the penny for progress fund.

Saenger Theatre:
Non departmental funding of $150,000 for 2009 and a proposed increase to $200,000 for 2010 projected. Renovations throughout 2009 had a projected cost of $8,174,958
Saenger Theatre Renovation and Expansion
To provide funding for the renovation and expansion of the Saenger Theatre Facility $14,062,917 in 2009 but the proposed changed to $15,000,000 according to the budget
Escambia-Pensacola Human Relations Commission: $70,700 for 2009 and a proposed $88,700 (this agency went over budget by $18,700 for FY2009!)

Parks & recreation:
Parks & Recreation: saw an increase in right of way maintenance budget of $56,000 in personal Services in 2009
Parks and Recreations/Director: personal services shows a proposed increased of $99,300 for 2010
Parks and Recreation/ Athletics: Personal Services shows a proposed increase of $250,000 for 2010
Parks and recreation/ parks: shows an increase in proposed personal services of $120,000 for 2010
Building Maintenance: personal services increased $421,000 and operating expenses increased by $185,600 for 2009

Specific Parks & Recreation expenditures:
Athletic Facilities & Community Center Improvements
Bayview Community Center $50,000 for 2009 and a proposed $250,000 for 2010
Cobb Center : $785,000 for 2009
Roger Scott Complex Swimming Pool $575,000 for 2009
Roger Scott Tennis Center $1,350,000 for 2009
Sanders Beach Recreation Area $280,000 for 2009

Park improvements for 2009
Bryan Park 200,000 (new Tryon Library lot)

Park improvements proposed 2010
Cordova Square 50,000
Dunmire Woods 50,000
Highland Terrace 75,000
Lavallet Park 90,000
Morris Court 90,000
Operto Square 55,000
Springdale Park 70,000
Williams Park 30,000
Zamora Square 50,000

Generic park improvements
Improve playground equipment, fencing and backstops at selected neighborhood parks $200,000 for 2009 and a proposed $560,000 in 2010
Community-wide facility improvements to Recreation Athletic Facilities $3,073,000 for 2009 and a proposed $834,000 for 2010
General Athletic Facilities Improvements 50,000 for 2010

Public Works:
Sidewalk Improvements 350,000 for 2009 and for 2010
Pavement Management Program 500,000 for 2009 and 2010
Cecil T. Hunter Swimming Pool 270,000 for 2010
East Pensacola Heights 80,000 for 2010
Hitzman Park 150,000 for 2010
Osceola $34,000 for 2010

Gas Utility:
Personal Services increase of $1,678,200 for 2009
Garbage collection: operating expenses increased by $560,800 and a proposed increase of $17,700 for Personal services for 2009 and a proposed capital accumulation of $181,000 for 2010 and trash collection operating expenses proposed increase of $108,000 and proposed capital accumulation of $88,500

Code enforcement:
Personal Services increased by $227,500 and operating expenses increased by $15,600 for 2009 and a proposed $17,500 for capital outlay and code enforcement zoning/housing operating expense increase of $14,300 in 2010

Airport Operations &Managment:
Personal Services increased by $563,900 operating expenses grew by $585,400 for 2009 and personal services has a proposed increase of $105,600 and proposed increased operating expenses by $1,292,700 for 2010

Risk Management:
Personal Services increased by $111,900 for 2009 and proposed operating expenses increased by $42,600 for 2010

Stormwater Operation &Management:
increased by $200,400 in Personal Services in 2009
Storm water enhancements:
$1,945,300 for 2009 and a proposed $2,059,500 for 2010

Other expenditures
Neighborhood Initiatives Program $ 25,000 for 2009 and proposed $25,000 for 2010
Bay Area Resource Council (BARC) : $7,300 for 2009 and a proposed $7,300 for 2010
Gulf Coast African American Chamber of Commerce: $10,000 for 2009 and a proposed $5,000 for 2010
Pensacola Promise: $5,000 for 2009
Sertoma Club: $5,000 for 2009
United Way Human Services Appropriations Administration $5,000 for 2009
Arts Council of NW Florida, Inc. $50,000 for 2009 and a proposed $40,000 for 2010

Now, do the aforementioned budgetary expenditures reflect “tough economic times” or are the city big wigs just poor mouthing public safety? Seems to be the latter don’t you think?


As for the Police budget:
For 2009
Police Station Expansion 3,150,000 in the 2009 budget (This expansion means nil if there are only a handful of officers working for the city after this piss poor contract year!)

For 2010 there is a proposed DECREASE of $313,300 in Police Personal Services budget and a DECREASE of proposed operating expenses of $219,700 for a proposed total budget DECREASE of $533,000


*** This post was assembled in somewhat of a haste but with respect for accuracy. If you review the budgets (FY 2009 and FY 2010) and find different figures please inform me of any inaccuracies or miscalculations as I do not wish to defame the position of the PPD officers’ with inaccurate information.

You are a moron.

Guest,

Would you care to expound or are you going to leave me with that intelligent and enlightening one liner?