Through five budget review meetings, the City Council Finance Committee has questioned most of the city’s department heads, officials from independent agencies and the mayor’s administration over budget items and capital improvement projects.
While those departments were given an allotted time to address the committee and answer questions, most have had to stay well beyond their scheduled times.
For example, Sheriff Mike Williams’ budget presentation and the questions that followed spanned most of the afternoon on Aug. 10. He was scheduled for 1 ½ hours.
Officials from Jacksonville Public Library were pressed for the entire morning session Aug. 11, well beyond their scheduled time of 75 minutes.
On Friday, JEA CEO Paul McElroy spent 2 ½ hours answering questions. JEA was scheduled for 45 minutes.
Finance Chair Garrett Dennis said he’s aware of complaints by some at City Hall, but stressed the need for proper vetting.
“We’re being prudent,” Dennis said. “I’ve said from Day One, this isn’t going to be a rubber-stamp budget.”
Dennis said the time taken is necessary
“As we’ve been going through, we’ve been finding some things, that if we would’ve just breezed over them, they would’ve been missed,” he said.
Dennis said the question shouldn’t be how long council members are taking to move through each item, but rather, “what did previous committees miss in their evaluation in years past?”
He said the hearings have offered “great dialogue so far.”
“Like I told Mr. Mousa the other day, put on your seatbelts, we’re going to have a good week,” Dennis said. Sam Mousa is the city’s chief administrative officer.
The Downtown Investment Authority approved an access agreement with Shad Khan’s Iguana Investment of Florida LLC to begin testing Metropolitan Park for environmental issues.
The agreement gives Iguana 180 days to test groundwater and soil ahead of a proposed mixed-use development.
When asked by board member Brenna Durden why the city had not already taken on that task, DIA CEO Aundra Wallace said there hadn’t been a need.
“We’ve done enough testing on the 45 acres of the Shipyards property, but we have not done so on the park land,” he said.
The board is requiring Iguana to disclose its findings before it enters into an economic development agreement.
Khan’s group has another year to come to terms with the city. It received development rights in April.
The DIA also approved a $2.5 million Recaptured Enhanced Value grant for a proposed 143-unit apartment complex at 1444 Home St. on the Southbank near Treaty Oak Park.
The grant represents 75 percent of the property taxes to be collected and paid out over 15 years. In exchange, Home Street LLC will allocate 10 percent of the units for workforce housing.
The project heads to the Downtown Development Review Board for final design approval and to City Council to vote on the REV grant.
Leadership Jacksonville will begin another round of political campaign training in October.
The five-session nonpartisan program is open to anyone considering a run for political office. The cost is $1,500.
“We are pleased to repeat this well-received program to help those who aspire to serve our community through elected public service,” said Leadership Jacksonville CEO Jill Langford Dame in a news release.
She said there are crucial decisions to make before undertaking a political campaign. “We have put together a team of the area’s leading experts to cover information necessary for an effective campaign.”
The program will be led by former City Council President Alberta Hipps and campaign consultant John Daigle.
Topics will cover ethics, building campaign teams, voter targeting, research and polling strategy, media relations, fundraising and more.
The deadline to apply is Sept. 15.
Visit www.leadershipjax.org for more information.
@DavidCawton
(904) 356-2466