Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody weighs in on 'backing the blue' in Tallahassee

In front of a group of local business leaders, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody weighed in on the need to "back the blue," using the city of Tallahassee and its commission as an example.

At a lunch meeting of the Network of Entrepreneurs and Business Advocates (NEBA), Moody praised the City Commission's move to increase the police department's budget but noted that the vote narrowly passed 3-2.

"A council's engagement with and support for their law enforcement men and women and making sure that they have the resources and training and support that they need to do the job is probably one of the most vital things to a successful city," Moody said.

Moody focused little on election issues: There were no mentions, for instance, of the constitutional amendments on the November ballot that would legalize marijuana and guarantee access to abortion in her speech.

Instead, Moody – a former circuit judge who has been the state's chief legal officer since 2019 – spent about 20 minutes echoing Gov. Ron DeSantis' efforts to make the Sunshine State the "law and order" state.

"I will not lose sight of making sure we stay that strong and safe state that attracts people from all over the nation," she said. "And I hope that you will not lose sight and the will, and the enthusiasm, and the persistence to make sure that Tallahassee is a strong and safe city. Because Florida is strong when our cities are."

Last year, city commissioners voted to increase their property tax rate some 8.5% — with millions in proceeds going to the Tallahassee Police Department. The tax hike, which inched the city's 2024 budget to $1.12 billion, passed 3-2 along the usual lines, with Mayor John Dailey and City Commissioners Curtis Richardson and Dianne Williams-Cox voting in favor and Commissioners Jack Porter and Jeremy Matlow voting against.

The 3-2 voting dynamic has become a hallmark of the City Commission, with tit-for-tat remarks about almost every major issue, sometimes resulting in acrimonious, hours-long meetings. Porter and Richardson are both running for re-election this year in races that are shaping up to be contentious.

"People in Tallahassee are tired of the never-ending tax increases and want to see cannabis decriminalized and women’s healthcare protected," Matlow told the USA TODAY Network-Florida later Tuesday. "Big government Republicans and the candidates they support in local elections are way out of step with our community."

And Porter said in a text message: "If a city can’t provide basic services like public safety within the first billion dollars, there are probably issues with that government’s priorities. Proud to oppose the 2023 property tax increase that raised housing costs for Tallahasseeans.”

At the time of the property tax vote, some Tallahassee locals, including Evan Power, then-chair of the Leon County Republican Party and now the head of the state GOP, criticized the commission over the tax increase, noting they could support police by checking what he called "out-of-control spending" rather than raising taxes.

"Disgraceful," Power said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The almost $10 million collected with the tax increase is slated to go to TPD for 20 new officers, higher police salaries and advanced technologies like artificial intelligence.

A few weeks after the vote, City Manager Reese Goad spoke to NEBA to defend the tax hike, saying it was necessary to fight violent crime in the city. With Police Chief Lawrence Revell by his side, Goad said the city has seen a “stubborn, sticky rise” in violent crime over recent years. At the same time, he said, police staffing levels have dropped to half the national average.

On Tuesday afternoon, Moody said the city's efforts to support police helped Revell lower the department's vacancy rate to 4%.

Supporting the police "will ensure the prosperity and stability and environment for businesses to flourish if you support the blue and make sure that they feel supported from others like you and the community," she said.

"Staying engaged in the mayor and council affairs, as it relates to that, is more important now more than it ever has been."

Ana Goñi-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network – Florida, can be reached at agonilessan@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Ashley Moody weighs in on 'backing the blue' in Tallahassee