ORLANDO, Fla. \u2014 After months of budget workshops and discussion, Orlando City Commissioners voted in favor of the nearly $2 billion budget.<\/p>\n
The vote took place at the city\u2019s first Budget Hearing Agenda on Monday night. The vote was unanimous.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s a really good budget,\u201d said District 1 Commissioner Tom Keen. \u201cAs a matter of fact, if you look over the last 10 or 20 years, the city has become more and more efficient, and that\u2019s based on the number of staff per thousand residents. So I think they\u2019ve done a great job.\u201d<\/p>\n
The commission spent months reviewing the budget in anticipation of Amendment 3 passage in November. The property tax measure would raise homestead exemptions for most Floridians and possibly result in local governments losing millions of dollars.<\/p>\n
Orlando is projected to lose about $85 million in the first three years if Amendment 3 is approved by voters. Jason Wojkiewicz, Orlando\u2019s Budget Division Manager, said public safety staffing could stall.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile outright cuts to public safety are unlikely as existing revenues are lost over several years, it is unlikely that we\u2019ll be able to continue to grow police and fire staffing as we have,\u201d Wojkiewicz. <\/p>\n
Another budget hearing is scheduled for September 28th, where it\u2019s expected the budget will be formally adopted.<\/p>\n
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