by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
The mayor’s office failed for the second time to get City Council approval for a plan to shift library funds. If the third time is going to be the charm, the Finance Committee said it wants to hear from the library director first–hand.
In a repeat performance of the bill’s two–week–old introduction to the Finance Committee, the mayor’s office agreed to shelve the bill until library director Ken Sivulich can answer questions about the proposed $5 million reshuffling of the libraries’ construction budgets.
Better Jacksonville Plan project manager Rex Holmlin told the committee that the changes were necessary to balance the construction budget. Holmlin said the shift would have little impact for branch operations. However, several committee members cited the library hiring freeze imposed by the mayor’s office as reason to hear from Sivulich.
“It’s obvious there are some disagreements between what he (Sivulich) and the administration see as necessities for these libraries,” said Council member Jerry Holland. “The library director could tell us whether these libraries are being properly outfitted. Without his appearance, I’m still left with a cloud of doubt.”
Mayor John Peyton froze hiring and spending on new materials for the City’s growing library system until his office can identify staffing and funding needs. Peyton’s policy chief, Steve Diebenow, said the proposed fund transfer was necessary to complete construction and had nothing to do with the mayor’s look into library operations.
“This is a construction issue not a library management issue,” he said.
Diebenow volunteered to shelve the legislation until committee members hear from Sivulich. The committee agreed, deferring a vote by at least two weeks.
The appropriation would transfer about $5.3 million away from branches with construction surpluses: the beaches, South Mandarin, Mandarin, Brentwood, Webb Wesconnett, West Regional, Murray Hill and Willowbranch branches, to those running deficits: Southeast, University Park, Maxville and Argyle branches.