City Council Vice President Lori Boyer didn’t know what to expect when she arrived in Tallahassee.
Along with Mayor Lenny Curry, a dozen other council members and a host of Jacksonville business leaders visited the capital Wednesday as a unified front for a final House vote on a key pension measure.
Boyer felt encouraged by what she heard heading in — the House votes were there to extend a half-cent sales tax to pay down the city’s $2.7 billion in pension liabilities. But she didn’t know for sure.
After about two hours of waiting, it was Jacksonville’s turn. The atmosphere changed, Boyer said. People snapped up and were on the edge of their seats as they listened to House members voice their support.
Then state Rep. John Tobia, R-Melbourne, stood up. And the mood changed.
He rattled off the reasons he would vote against the Jacksonville plan. It authorized a new tax. It set up the Jacksonville pension plan to be in better shape than the already sound Florida Retirement System.
And he was critical of some of the city’s expenditures, having reviewed the budget and found line items for things like One Spark and the Jacksonville Armada.
Local leaders were a little surprised.
Council President Greg Anderson said he and several of his trip mates wanted to head to the floor to explain how careful Jacksonville leaders had been with their budget.
Boyer agreed, saying the urge was there among those in the gallery to stick up for the city. But Tobia was only one vote in what had been nothing but support to that point.
Then came applause after Tobia concluded his remarks.
Many in the gallery questioningly looked at one another, Boyer said. Her level of concern was raised a few notches.
But a host of Duval Delegation members continued to show an outpouring of support to convince their colleagues.
Lake Ray was the first, acknowledging the Jacksonville group along with the city’s “elephant in the room” of pensions. Charles McBurney said the idea allowed Jacksonville to control its own destiny. Paul Renner said the issue couldn’t be wished away.
Others from the region like Cyndi Stevenson and Charles Van Zant joined. So did those from across the state like Neil Combee and David Santiago.
Ultimately, the moment of doubt was just a blip, as green names far outnumbered the red ones when the vote was called. The House passed the bill by an 86-23 vote.
State Rep. Travis Cummings, R-Fleming Island, was in the thick of it.
For weeks he’s carried the bill on the House side, laying out the Jacksonville problem and the Jacksonville solution before his peers.
Even with the positive vibes heading into the Wednesday morning vote, he said he doesn’t take anything for granted. Not in the Legislature.
“It was a little sigh of relief,” he said Wednesday afternoon, hours after the vote.
The local group coming to Tallahassee in support “says a lot about the effort and unity” and showed the Legislature how serious the city is trying to solve the issue.
And while some in the gallery might have had pangs of doubt after the Tobia comments and applause, Cummings explained he thought it was one of those “inside baseball” moments.
Tobia is a consistent voice of opposition when it comes to many spending bills, Cummings said. But he doesn’t often stand to speak.
Cummings said he thought the response was a mix of peers agreeing with his points, while others simply were playfully egging him on about speaking. Even some who supported the pension bill playfully clapped.
Nevertheless, the House side was done.
During the House debate, Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, was in a conference room selling the pension bill. It passed its final Senate committee, setting up a floor vote likely next week.
When he was done, he met Curry, Cummings and the Jacksonville group for a few minutes to celebrate.
“It was a big win for Jacksonville and a huge win for the mayor,” Anderson said.
Bradley on Wednesday evening said many people didn’t think the pension bill would make it this far.
And although it was a moment of celebration, people knew the climb wasn’t over.
“It was a good day, but we’re not there yet,” said Bradley.
Anderson has a similar viewpoint, comparing it to the first inning of a condensed three-inning baseball game. It still has to pass the Senate and Gov. Rick Scott’s veto pen. Then head back home to council and finally to voters before it’s done.
But for one day, there was joy, Boyer said. And a sense of relief.
“It’s a huge accomplishment, a huge hurdle that was crossed,” said Boyer. “Just huge.”
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