by Mary-Kate Roan
Staff Writer
The Taxation Revenue and Utilization of Expenditures (TRUE) Commission could be seen as a doctor checking on a patient’s overall health when it comes to the new study it will be conducting. The study, called “The Long Term Fiscal Health of Jacksonville” will be done at nearly the same time as a Jacksonville Community Council Inc. (JCCI) study of the same subject.
And the TRUE Commission study’s leader will be Joe Andrews, a TRUE Commission member who is also participating in the JCCI study.
“The Long Term Fiscal Health of Jacksonville” will not be a “Lone Ranger” effort by Andrews, said John Palombi, chair of the TRUE Commission. While Andrews will be at the helm of the study, Andrews will select a few members of the TRUE Commission to help the three-to-four-month-long study. It will focus on discovering where the Jacksonville money train can be redirected for more efficiency and provide strategic planning for the long-term impact of Jacksonville’s economic future.
“Basically we want to see which trains are running out of tracks and which ones have too many choo-choos,” explained Palombi of the study’s motives.
Palombi suggested to Andrews the study focus on several key factors related to the City’s economy, like population and average wages. After compiling the information about the Jacksonville economy’s trends, the study will provide recommendations to the mayor’s office and City Council on where to cut funds and where to increase funds.
The study was assigned three months ago, but no meetings were held. Andrews will take over for Charles Curley, who has resigned from the TRUE Commission.
Andrews stated in the meeting his first goal of conducting the study would be to develop an outline or scope of the study then have a meeting to discuss and approve it.
Palombi suggested he pick his first round of draft choices and get started soon. Palombi also said he would be a standing part of the committee, and that any who were on the committee’s study would have to be committed to it.
“You have the interest and the time to do this,” said Palombi to Andrews. “You’re use to working with big projects.”
And Palombi is right. Prior to becoming a member of the TRUE Commission, Andrews studied at the University of South Carolina and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in business management and economics. His post graduate work included 54 hours of studying in economics, international business and finance with a hefty emphasis on research. Andrews worked as a project manager for L.C. Gaskins Construction doing military construction and in 1995 opened a shop to provide out sourced project management to a plethora of general contractors in the Jacksonville area. Andrews has been or is involved with several community activities, such as the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County where he served as treasurer.
As for getting people from the TRUE Commission on board with the study, Palombi threw out some examples who he thought would be beneficial to help – like Randy Deen (U.S. product custody manager for Corporate Trust Institutional), Marcella Lowe (past president of Credit Professionals International) and Steve Jerecki (director of IT finance and business relationships with Blue Cross Blue Shield) – adding any chosen should be accustomed to “tossing around big numbers.”
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