Local legislative delegation brings home money from state budget

There’s over $100 million more money than usual for the greater Capital region in the state budget lawmakers wrote for the fiscal year beginning July 1. 

The local economy always benefits from state spending; government and three state higher education institutions serve as Tallahassee’s economic pillars. 

But the state is flush with billions in federal aid. Stripping away appropriations for  Florida A&M, Florida State and Tallahassee Community College along with annual base spending, one finds Leon County’s statehouse delegation secured at least another $140 million in spending on programs and supplies.  

Probably the biggest economic stimulus is a 5.38% across-the-board pay raise for state workers, along with more money to make $15 a minimum wage for state employment.

That amounts to a $2,137 raise for the state worker making an average of $41,975 and is the third raise for state workers in eight years. One of those raises was a one-time $1,000 bump; another compensated for a required pension contribution. 

“It’s long overdue,” said Sen. Loranne Ausley, D-Tallahassee, about the biggest boost in state pay in recent memory.

“It’s long overdue,” said Sen. Loranne Ausley, D-Tallahassee, about the biggest boost in state pay in recent memory.

Ausley represents 22,000 state workers in Leon, Gadsden and Wakulla counties. The raise is estimated to pump an additional $50 million in the regional economy. 

“We can always do better but, in a budget year when we have this much money, the first thing we needed to do was make sure we value state employees,” Ausley said about the 2022-23 state spending plan of $112 billion, including $3.5 billion in coronavirus relief money.


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