The Tallahassee City Commission will go into its annual retreat Wednesday. The meeting comes a week after the areas key economic development organizations split.
--
City Mayor Andrew Gillum and the commission have outlined their priorities for the next year: economic diversity, crime and gun prevention, investing in the Southside and Family planning and support. The group wants to continue its work on developing a community school on the Southside—one that would include services like healthcare and social support.
The commission is also pushing for greater investment in the area, and across the city as a whole. Tallahassee has seen a spurt of new development and businesses in the past year. But much of that involves pricey housing projects, which have brought concerns the city’s homes are becoming unaffordable.
In addition, crime prevention is also at the top of the list. A spate of shootings and gun violence rocked the city last year, and was part of the reason the commission approved a property tax rate to fund new officers.
The conversation about economic development comes after the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce and the county Economic Development Commission decided to break up. Both organizations focus on job creation in the area.