by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Two Jacksonville residents — pharmacist Jim Koivisto and Les Loggins, who runs a communications firm — have devised a way for JEA customers to contribute to the Duval County school system on a purely voluntary basis.
On the surface, the simple plan calls for little more than checking a box on your JEA bill and adding a little extra to the check. The idea is very similar to what mortgage companies do when they provide the opportunity to include a payment directly to your principal.
However, asking residents to donate money through a public utility for the sake of the local public school system isn’t as easy as just marking a box.
“There are two aspects of it that would make it difficult,” said Bruce Dugan, spokesperson for JEA. “Simply the logistics of getting it done would be tough.”
JEA already has in place one voluntary program for customers wanting to donate money above and beyond their electric or water bills. The program is called Neighbor to Neighbor and it’s designed to help those on fixed incomes or those who suddenly find themselves in financial straights and need assistance paying their monthly bills. Customers sign up to donate to the program and a few times a year a Neighbor to Neighbor program insert comes with their bill and they give various amounts.
“There is not a check box, it is added as a charge,” said Dugan. “The money goes to either Catholic Charities or the United Way.”
Dugan explained the current idea to help raise money for public schools is difficult for a couple of other reasons. One, City Council would have to pass an ordinance instructing JEA to participate in such a program. Two, Dugan said JEA officials aren’t sure it’s their job to help generate funding for the school system. Dugan also said JEA CEO Walt Bussells is open-minded about the idea — he sat down with City Council member and mayoral candidate Matt Carlucci, School Board member Kris Barnes, Alliance for World Class Education executive director Cheryl Grymes and several others Thursday morning to talk about the proposal — but isn’t sure who would pay the initial and administrative costs.
“Walt said, ‘Let’s talk about it’ and he’s willing to consider it if somebody else will pay the expenses,” said Dugan, explaining that someone, or a whole department, would have to separate the money intended for schools and assure it gets in the right hands.
Initial plans call for Grymes and the Alliance to serve as the fiscal agents while the School Board’s primary job would be to determine how the money is allocated and spent. And any money generated by a Duval County-only program would have no bearing on what the county gets annually from the State education. As Grymes said, it would be icing on the cake.
Although several elements are combining to make such an option on JEA customer’s bills an intricate procedure, Dugan did say one upcoming innovation could facilitate the process. Within a few months, JEA expects to implement its redesigned billing statement, meaning if there was ever a time to add an element to the statement, it is now.
“The new billing system could make it easier,” said Dugan, adding there would be additional administrative costs at first, but he thinks they would be small. He also stressed that JEA is open to the idea, but will take any lead City Council provides. “Council would have to pass an ordinance. They passed an ordinance for us to do Neighbor to Neighbor. We’d have to have their permission and we’d take that as instruction.
“We don’t really think it’s feasible for us because it’s a cost that would be passed on to the customer and it’s not related to what we do as an energy and water company. But if City Council passes an ordinance and asks us to do it, we will.”