by David Ball
Staff Writer
What had to have been a weary Jacksonville City Council convened Wednesday afternoon to tackle the rest of Tuesday night’s agenda less than 11 hours after public debate over new city fees pushed the meeting into early Wednesday morning.
With 14 to 15 members present at various times, the Council unanimously approved an ordinance reorganizing the city’s administrative offices, which along with the now Council-approved garbage and drainage fees is a key part of Mayor John Peyton’s strategy to tackle the budget shortfall.
One Council member who was definitely not showing signs of fatigue was Denise Lee, who argued successfully to approve the ordinance the same way it left the Council’s Rules Committee on Monday - with the Consumer Affairs Division, Adult Services, Parks Security and the County Extension Office all remaining intact.
“Reorganization on top of three new fees is unprecedented,” said Lee. “Our job is to go through these things, not to rubber-stamp.”
In the initial reorganization plan, 55 positions were either going to be eliminated or not filled for a savings of about $3 million, according to Peyton’s policy chief Adam Hollingsworth.
Since the Council had already approved the $959 million city budget on Tuesday, Council Auditor Kirk Sherman said more than $230,000 would have to be moved out of the Council’s contingency fund to reinsert the four divisions. That left a little more than $1,300 in contingency.
“We are in unprecedented times,” said Council member Stephen Joost. “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.”
“Every time we save a dollar, we spend a dollar,” he added. “That’s my opposition to it.”
Council member Bill Bishop said he didn’t see obvious benefits to Lee’s amendment and that the Council shouldn’t micromanage city administration. “The re-org thing really is the mayor’s job,” he said.
Council member Warren Jones supported Lee’s plan as did Glorious Johnson, who especially wanted to see the adult services division remain and continue to operate the city’s various senior centers.
However, Council member Art Graham said he saw duplication of services in those divisions, which “during a tight budget time we can’t afford,” he said.
However, Graham offered a compromise and moved to leave the bill as is but remove all funding to the Extension Office’s Canning Kitchen, a facility the city recently upgraded that allows citizens to can their own fruits and vegetables. The kitchen reportedly costs around $67,000 a year to operate.
Lee seconded, but the motion failed in a 7-7 vote. Lee’s original amendment then passed 10-4, and the entire bill passed 14-0.