There have been several articles over the last few days about Mayor Bill Foster asking Tampa to pay for some of the costs for the Republican party's party at Tropicana field later this month. We've covered it twice before, and Mayor Foster has said a few conflicting things about who is paying for it over the last nine months. Back in January, Foster said the costs could run "well into six-figures". Then in March he said that "he expected that the city would end up covering some of the costs", yet in June he said "There won't be any general-operating funds used for this event." So which is it Mr. Mayor, who is going to pay for your party's party at the Trop?
He sent a letter to Tampa's Mayor Bob Buckhorn earlier last month asking for some money, and has yet to receive any kind of response. Foster's backup plan is to ask the host committee for money, although the Trop party is not actually part of the convention.
Another expense that is overlooked in this is the $270,000 that Foster pushed through City Council for security cameras for the event, again he had no guarantees on outside money to cover those costs either. To get approval for that expense, City Council had also been told that the cameras could be moved after the event, but after the vote Foster then said they couldn't.
Why is the Mayor gambling with our money? He has bet that he can get someone else to pay for these expenses, without any kind of contract or assurance from these outside organizations that they will pay, and in the process he has played fast-and-loose with the facts to the city council and people of St. Petersburg.
The worst-case scenario is that the people of St. Petersburg will spend a half-million dollars on this one-day closed party for Republican delegates and the press. And Mayor Foster will have lied to the people once again, to get what he wants.
Perhaps you should update your post, since money is forthcoming to St. Petersburg - from the TampaBay Times:
ReplyDeleteNearly $1 million will flow from Tampa's $50 million grant for convention security to cover St. Petersburg's police expenses for the Republican National Convention's kickoff party at Tropicana Field on Aug. 26.The cities reached the deal this week, and St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster signed it Friday, said police spokesman Bill Proffitt.
Tampa will reimburse St. Petersburg $600,000 for overtime expenses for the RNC welcome party and $80,000 for fencing and barricades at city facilities and on the protest parade route, Proffitt said. Tampa also will provide $270,000 for surveillance cameras and ancillary equipment in St. Petersburg's Event Zone.