by David Ball
Staff Writer
Jacksonville City Council members Jack Webb, Stephen Joost and Mia Jones said it’s about time the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department get to see their own light bills.
The bills are currently sent to and paid out of the Public Works Department. The idea is that if police and fire administrators see how much energy is being used at their stations and facilities, they may be inclined to conserve a little more.
“Information is a powerful tool,” said Joost of the idea — one of several kicked around at the first meeting of the Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Budget Efficiency on Tuesday.
The committee was formed following the recent budget session, where City Council placed 2 percent of each City department’s budget below the line not to be spent. Council Auditor Kirk Sherman said that measure saved the general fund about $4.8 million.
Sherman said it will be the committee’s job to determine if the departments can have their 2 percent back or if further cuts can be made without reducing levels of service.
“We want to see how deep you want to go. What are you guys interested in?” said Sherman, who began with a look at Public Works, and specifically the contracted managment of the Ed Ball Building.
Sherman handed out a sheet of 21 questions about the contract with Jones Lang LaSalle, beginning with why the originally contracted rate of 19 cents per square foot changed in the 2007-08 budget request to 23 cents per square foot, which on the 388,575-square-foot Ed Ball building is a difference of $78,829 to $103,829.
Sherman said the main question is whether or not the City could manage the building cheaper.
“There’s arguably a higher level of service being given there than at other City buildings,” Sherman said. “You’ve got an extra layer...(and) the City doesn’t directly have their hands on how to run this building.”
Alan Mosley, the mayor’s chief administrative officer, said it may be time to look at ending the JLL contract, even if it means adding more staff to manage the building and handle the ongoing construction projects there.
“But it may still be cheaper than paying the contract,” stated Jones.
The discussion then moved to the City’s contract with First Coast Security.
“We’ve gone from civil servants to outsourcing contracts,” said Webb. “What is the extent of our security?”
The committee touched on utility costs and how the City is billed. The group was informed that replacing streetlights with white-light bulbs, which the Council members said many in the public are asking for to create brighter and therefore safer environments, would double the electric costs.
Sherman said he would bring back more detailed reports on these cost areas to future meetings, which are planned for every two weeks.
City budgets impacted by 2% “below the line”
* Top areas impacted
Source: Council Auditor’s Office