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Council seeks money for snacks
By LEONORA LaPETER and BRYAN GILMER
© St. Petersburg Times, ST. PETERSBURG -- City Council members have talked of pumping up their salaries and expense accounts and giving themselves a pension. Now they also want more money to provide food and drink for the city's luxury suite during baseball games at Tropicana Field.
The addition comes at the same time the council has requested an additional $39,000 for their annual expense accounts, a 206 percent increase. Council members, who have been on the defensive over the expense account increase and talk of pay and other benefit raises, said Thursday that the additional money for food would be used for soda and snacks at Tropicana Field. Council members get use of a luxury suite for many Devil Rays games, and several members have used it to entertain volunteers, neighborhood groups and city employees. Former council members who used the suite were quick to point out that they paid for their own food and drinks, even while enjoying the game from the taxpayer-financed suite. But the request for the nearly 72 percent food increase came from new council member John Bryan, who was on vacation Thursday. He could not be reached for comment, but several other council members, each of whom can get the suite four or five times per season, said it is something they welcome. "I'm for it," said James Bennett. "We're entertaining. It's a modest thing -- some hot dogs and sodas." Food for the suite would level the playing field between the council and the mayor's office, which already provides taxpayer-purchased snacks for visitors to the suite when the mayor or his immediate staff are using it. Mayor Baker's budget for next year includes $4,000 for food and non-alcoholic beverages in the city's luxury suite, and former Mayor David Fischer also had $4,000 in his budget. City department heads, who also get to use the suite, do not tap into Baker's food budget, but it was not clear late Thursday whether they set aside money for food at the suites in their own budgets. Baker said he thinks the combined $8,000 for the council and mayor's office for food at Tropicana Field (about $100 per game) is an item taxpayers should pick up. "You're bringing people who have done things for the community and helped the community, and I don't think anybody is spending lavishly," Baker said. "It's to have snacks and soft drinks. That's fine." But council member Bill Foster thinks the budget is too tight for the City Council to be considering such a large increase in its food budget, which also covers breakfasts, lunches and sometimes dinners for council members during their long meetings. He also disagreed with the mayor having a special account for food at the suite. "When people ask me where's the food, I open the door and say, "See the concession stand? There it is, there's a beautiful concession stand right out the door,' " Foster said from his vacation. "We've used it for three years. I'm not into luxuries. Call me cheap." Council member Virginia Littrell is also against it. "They give us the tickets, and that seems like a major benefit," she said. "I don't really have too much problem paying for snacks." The council's spending has come under increased scrutiny recently as members have talked about higher salaries, bigger expense accounts and retirement accounts for each member. Council members now make $23,337 a year and have a $150 car allowance. They will each receive a 3 percent increase to $24,037 a year, and council Chairwoman Rene Flowers has suggested the car allowance go up to $400 a month. The city's $462-million budget is tight this year for a number of reasons, including the fact that the city is renegotiating contracts with its police and fire unions. Also, the mayor doesn't plan to use a city reserve fund to cover any shortfall as the city has in the past. "It'd be nice if we could do it," Lasita said of budgeting the additional $4,000 for ballpark food. "We're treating -- treating's a bad word -- honoring people in the community. That's largely what we use it for. These folks get there, and there's nothing for them."
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
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From the Times South Pinellas desks |
At a time when Mayor Rick Baker has pushed for budget belt-tightening, the City Council has set aside $10,298 for food and ice, a $4,298 increase over last year.
