by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
City Council is currently considering a couple of ordinances that would make life a whole lot easier for Jacksonville’s new mayor and Council members.
Plans are to move the dates of three regularly scheduled Council meetings. The May 13 meeting would be moved to May 14 in order to not conflict with the May 13 general election in which Jacksonville will elect a new mayor, property appraiser and potentially three new Council members (during the April 15 primary, five new members of Council were elected and three districts are in a runoff).
As importantly, the July 8 meeting will be rescheduled for July 15. That switch will allow either Sheriff Nat Glover or John Peyton more time to understand the City’s $700 million-plus budget. Traditionally, the mayor submits his annual budget to Council for approval at the first Council meeting in July. Because the new mayor and Council members will be sworn in on July 1, Council president Jerry Holland didn’t believe one week was enough time for the mayor to fully understand the budget.
“I started thinking about it about two weeks ago,” said Holland, who introduced the ordinance that affects the May 13 meeting as an emergency at last night’s Council meeting. “I was talking with the auditors about the schedule and the budget and realized we needed a little extra time. It will not hurt the legislative process and it seemed like the right thing to do.
“It’s more important for the new mayor to have the extra time than for the City Council members.”
Also, the switch will give the new members of Council extra time to study the budget.
“Actually, I think it’s terrific,”said Sharon Copeland, who defeated incumbent Mary Ann Southwell in the Dist. 6 race. “I’m on my way to City Council [offices] right now to work with one of the Council members [Lynette Self] for a while. Before you sign off on a budget like that, it’s good to educate yourself so you know what you are voting on. I’m not saying that I’ll fully understand it this year, but I’ll be better prepared next year.”
Holland said he will also introduce an ordinance that deals with switching the July meetings — the July 22 meeting will be moved to July 29 — but not as an emergency.