Tampa city council working to set budget for next year

TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa City Council is back at work trying to iron out a budget for next year. Council previously rejected Mayor Jane Castor's double-digit property tax increase. 

As of Tuesday night, they are still trying to figure out what to spend money on and what to cut.

For more than two hours, city council members heard from several dozen people most all of them pleading with council to squeeze as much money as possible into housing. Building a new fire station was also a major topic of discussion.

READ: Tampa's biggest events could get budget cuts as the city tries to save on costs

Last year, the city dedicated $5.5 million to affordable housing. In previous meetings, housing advocates have made it clear to council they need a lot more than that this year because of the ongoing housing crisis. 

That's because they passed a zero percent property tax increase early this month. 

At Tuesday night's meeting they passed a motion to take $5 million from the reserve fund to put toward housing totaling the amount of housing funding to $12 million in next year's budget.

"The housing crisis has not left us. You still have people getting evicted. You still have people who can't afford where they live because of rent increases," Florida Rising Tampa Bay Regional Director Robin Lockett said. "It's very important housing should be the center point of this budget."

Also at Tuesday's meeting, council passed a motion to move $7 million in parking revenue to be used to pay for road paving.

When it comes to public safety, the council plans to dedicate $16 million from the Community Investment Tax to public safety with $8 million going to police and $8 million going to fire.

As of 11 p.m. Tuesday, the council has yet to approve a final budget.