Mayor Ashton Hayward is proposing $21,244,400 of Local Option Sales Tax spending for FY 2019.
| Council Chambers Renovations | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 375,000 |
| Fire Equipment, Vehicles (3) | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 192,600 |
| Police | |
| Â Â Radio | Â Â Â Â Â 1,000,000 |
| Â Â Vehicles, Data Terminals | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 710,000 |
| Â Â HQ HVAC | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 150,000 |
| Public Works | |
| Â Sidewalks | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 200,000 |
| Â Intersection improvements | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 100,000 |
| Â Pavement management program | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 500,000 |
| Parks & Rec | |
| Â Cobb Center | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 150,000 |
| Â East Pensacola Heights | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 75,000 |
| Â Malcolm Yonge Gym | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 195,000 |
| Â Roger Scott Tennis | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 700,000 |
| Â Sanders Beach/Corrine Jones | Â Â Â Â Â 1,075,000 |
| Â Vickery Center | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 315,000 |
| Â General Facilities Improvements | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 90,000 |
| Park Improvements | |
| Â Aviation Park | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 50,000 |
| Â Bayview Park | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 20,000 |
| Â Bill Gregory | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 50,000 |
| Â Chimney Park | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 15,000 |
| Â Highland Terrace | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 100,000 |
| Â Legion Field | Â Â Â Â Â 1,100,000 |
| Â Magee Field | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 100,000 |
| Â Mallory Heights (Goya) | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 950,000 |
| Â Miraflores | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 30,000 |
| Â Plaza de Luna | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 50,000 |
| Â Wayside East Seawall | Â Â Â Â Â 1,600,000 |
| Â General park improvements | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 35,000 |
| Â Park sidewalk improvements | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 30,000 |
| Park & Rec Vehicles & Equipt (10) | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 372,400 |
| Public Works Vehicles & Equipt (10) |         361,300 |
| Interest Expense | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 659,600 |
| Principals on notes | Â Â Â Â Â 3,543,500 |
| Total | Â Â Â 21,244,400 |
The current series of Local Option Sales Tax (Series IV) is projected to generate $93.4 million. The city began collecting the tax on Jan. 1, 2018, and it will continue to do so through Dec. 31, 2029 –11 years after he has left office. Mayor Hayward has borrowed $31.5 million against the Series IV funds and started spending the money in 2015 (after he was reelected).
If the Pensacola City Council approves the LOST Series Plan IV for FY 2019, the city will have allocated 60 percent of the entire projected revenue, $55.86 million (includes interest on loans), in the first nine months of Series IV and before the next mayor takes office.
The new mayor and next city council will have about $37.5 million for capital projects over the next 10 years.
In 2016, Mayor Hayward got the council to approve borrowing against the Local Option Gas Tax so that he could complete 10 years of street paving in three years. The new mayor and council will not have any significant LOGT funds for street and sidewalk projects until 2026 at the earliest. Local Option Sales Taxes will have to be used.
How did Mayor Hayward increase the city’s operating budget by $47.5 million in five years?
| FY 2014 | FY 2019 | ||
| General Fund | Â Â Â Â Â Â 48,046,900 | Â Â Â 53,693,400 | Â Â Â Â Â Â 5,646,500 |
| Special Revenue | Â Â Â Â Â Â 32,237,100 | Â Â Â 37,348,400 | Â Â Â Â Â Â 5,111,300 |
| Debt Service | Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â – | Â Â Â Â Â 6,431,000 | Â Â Â Â Â Â 6,431,000 |
| Capital Projects | Â Â Â Â Â Â 13,770,400 | Â Â Â 24,020,400 | Â Â Â Â 10,250,000 |
| Enterprise | Â Â Â Â Â Â 77,980,100 | Â Â Â 96,048,700 | Â Â Â Â 18,068,600 |
| Internal Services | Â Â Â Â Â Â 20,235,400 | Â Â Â 22,176,700 | Â Â Â Â Â Â 1,941,300 |
| Total Budget | Â Â Â Â 192,269,900 | Â 239,718,600 | Â Â Â Â 47,448,700 |