Mayor Ashton Hayward has posted on the city’s website his proposed operating budget for FY 2019. It is the largest budget in the city’s history, $239,718,600 – $10.86 million more than the current budget.
In 2010, Hayward ran on a platform of fiscal responsibility. He cut employees, transferred the public library system to the county and renegotiated the city pensions. When he ran for re-election in 2014, he touted that he had cut the city budget by nearly $30 million in three years. It was an amazing feat.
Since FY 2014, the city budget has gone from $192.3 million to $239.7 million proposed for next year —a $47.45 million increase, 25 percent. The overall increase since his first budget (FY 2012) to his last proposal (FY 2019) is $17.6 million.
Hayward has gone from a fiscal conservative that cut the size of city government more than any of his predecessors to most liberal spender in city history.
Will the Pensacola City Council intervene and hold meaningful budget workshops? This definitely gives the mayoral candidates an opportunity to show how they would manage city finances differently.
| Proposed Operating | ||
| Budget | ||
| FY 2012 | Â $Â Â Â 222,106,100 | |
| FY 2013 | Â $Â Â 220,680,000 | Â $Â Â (1,426,100) |
| FY 2014 | Â $Â Â 192,269,900 | Â $ (28,410,100) |
| FY 2015 | Â $Â Â 198,590,400 | Â $Â Â Â Â 6,320,500 |
| FY 2016 | Â $Â Â Â 211,658,200 | Â $Â Â 13,067,800 |
| FY 2017 | Â $Â Â Â 217,992,000 | Â $Â Â Â Â 6,333,800 |
| FY 2018 | Â $Â Â 228,848,800 | Â $Â Â 10,856,800 |
| FY 2019 | Â $Â Â Â 239,718,600 | Â $Â Â 10,869,800 |
| Â $Â Â 17,612,500 | ||
| General Fund | ||
| FY 2012 | Â $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 50,681,600 | |
| FY 2013 | Â $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 49,314,800 | Â $Â Â (1,366,800) |
| FY 2014 | Â $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 47,986,400 | Â $Â Â (1,328,400) |
| FY 2015 | Â $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 49,302,000 | Â $Â Â Â Â 1,315,600 |
| FY 2016 | Â $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 51,184,300 | Â $Â Â Â Â 1,882,300 |
| FY 2017 | Â $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 51,238,600 | Â $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 54,300 |
| FY 2018 | Â $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 52,181,600 | Â $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 943,000 |
| FY 2019 | Â $Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 53,693,400 | Â $Â Â Â Â 1,511,800 |
| Â $Â Â Â Â 3,011,800 |