by David Ball
Staff Writer
What a news year 2007 was for Jacksonville, from the housing market to property taxes to the ethics probes into nearly every corner of city government.
Like every year, 2008 should offer its own set of new and unexpected surprises, although many news headlines from 2007 will likely remain at the top of the pages in 2008.
In speaking with the Daily Record, some notable news forecasters gave glimpses and what stories will likely dominate the upcoming pages of the paper as it continues in-depth looks at Jacksonville law, city government and business and economic development.
Jacksonville Law - growing the bar, civilly
When Susan Sowards was hired on as executive director of the Jacksonville Bar Association in the summer of 2007, her goal was to grow the Bar’s services and make the organization more relevant to its members, in order to attract new ones. Well, the Bar had about 1,900 members when Sowards started. Where is it now?
“The JBA (Board of Governors) goal was to reach 2,000 members this year,” she said, “and with 1,960 already, we hope to reach it.”
Jacksonville Bar President Caroline Emery listed six specific areas the Bar will concentrate on in 2008 to further expand the group’s reach, relevance and membership.
The first area is strong Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminars. Seminars in the areas of elder law, labor law, personal injury, intellectual and sports law and appellate law are already planned for the beginning months of 2008.
The second goal is to foster more communication and growth in the Bar sections.
“Active sections are meeting and members are bonding, developing new professional relationships that foster professionalism,” said Emery. “Sections have recently become an important feature in light of our growing,large number of members.”
Another goal is to further ensure the revitalization of the Bar’s Professionalism Committee and Judicial Relations Committee. The latter is planning “Sidebar Box Lunches” for lawyers and judges in a specialized division to discuss judges’ preferences on practice methods, and the first one is scheduled for Jan. 25.
Also, Emery said she would like to see benefits from a new committee established for past Jacksonville Bar presidents to provide input to the current administration.
Growth has also occurred at the Bar’s Web site, and now local specialized bars are able to post their events on the calendar so lawyers can work around each other’s schedules.
The final goal is for a best-ever Law Week and Law Day Lunch, which is on May 1.
As for the resources Jacksonville lawyers will have across the state, Florida Bar President Frank Angones said much of that will be determined by one of the big issues for his group in 2008 — property tax reform and how it will impact an already tight state judicial budget.
“Key issues are unfortunately budgetary, but they are very important issues for all Floridians and also the courts,” said Angones. “The same people in the same jobs in different branches of government are being paid differently, and that is just not right.”
He said a key issue across the entire practice of law will be a continued emphasis on diversity.
“It is true that it hasn’t been that long in the history of our nation that women and other minorities have been going to law school,” he said. “But we have to do more in providing opportunities to all.”
Another issue more Florida-specific is that lawyers work towards more professionalism among themselves, which will impact the way all lawyers are viewed by the public.
“Some of the arguments go beyond what you expect a professional to be, and that is embarrassing,” said Angones. “We have a center for professionalism, and we need to see that each lawyer within a year of graduating takes part in it.”
Angones said he will work towards these issues until his term is over in June, at which point Ft. Lauderdale attorney Jesse Diner will take over the presidency.
Jacksonville government: blood and water
The major issues for the City of Jacksonville in 2008 will likely continue out of the major issues that arose at the end of 2007, according to Mayor John Peyton’s office and City Council President Daniel Davis.
“Obviously, what the mayor has been talking about for the last several weeks is the Jacksonville Journey, and that is really going to be one of the primary focuses for the upcoming year,” said mayoral spokesperson Misty Skipper.
Peyton’s “The Jacksonville Journey: Take a Step” steering committee on crime met for the first time in December, and the group of well-known community leaders and figureheads is expected to suggest some solutions to Jacksonville’s murder and violent-crime epidemic sometime in April.
Crime and crime deterrence is also at the top of Davis’ list for 2008.
“Clearly we need to focus on public safety,” said Davis. “I believe we need to place more patrol men and women on the street. I have a goal of continuing to improve community centers using partnerships like one we did with Tony Boselli (at Simonds-Johnson Park).”
The health and viability of the St. Johns River will continue to be a priority in 2008, as Skipper said the mayor will work with state and federal legislators to secure more funds for river restoration, as well as watch the debate over withdrawing water for use in Central Florida.
While the continued debate over how to build a new county courthouse and for how much isn’t a large concern for Peyton, Skipper said, it is high on the list for Davis.
“We need to make a decision on what we need to do with the courthouse,” he said.
The final issue on nearly every City official’s radar is, of course, the property tax reform referendum set for a vote on Jan. 29.
“The mayor will be watching very closely the election on Jan. 29 and what impact that may have on the city’s budget,” said Skipper. “And we’ll have to respond appropriately in the upcoming budget year.”
Business and the economy: it’s not just real estate
The past year led with more bad news from the housing market, as home and unit sales and prices continued to drop and Downtown development projects, such Kuhn Co.’s Barnett Building and Laura Trio projects as well as the much-heralded Shipyard development, stalled.
Still, the beginning of the year saw completion of major developments in Riverside, such as the EverBank building, and more mixed use projects seem to be moving forward, as are ones in San Marco.
But forecasters predict the overall market won’t begin turning around until late 2008.
“The forecast shows a modest rebound in residential construction activity by the third quarter of 2008,” said Bernard Markstein, National Association of Homebuilders staff vice president of economics.
New residential construction will continue to be down, he said, until the excess inventory that has accumulated since the downturn is sold off. Local real estate consultant and forecaster Charlie Clark was a little more optimistic.
“We’re heading for a rebound in the second to third quarter (of 2008) with mostly moderate increases back to the 2002 levels,” said Clark.
Home sales will increase as there is an increase in area employment, according to Ray Rodriguez of the Real Estate Strategy Center of Northeast Florida. Rodriguez, though, believes results won’t be seen until the end of 2008.
However, unlike some parts of Florida, economic growth in Jacksonville isn’t tied solely to the housing market.
According to a study by the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Economic Competitiveness, Jacksonville and its metropolitan area including Baker, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties saw good economic gains in 2007 and should expect the same in 2008.
“The Jacksonville metropolitan area is experiencing healthy gains in many key economic measures...and is maintaining high levels of personal income and average annual wage,” the study states. “The area is expected to achieve average annual growth rates in personal income that out pace the statewide average, as well as one of the state’s leading growth rates in average annual wage at a level of 3.8 percent.”
The study concludes that Jacksonville’s industry growth will continue to be focused on professional business services (growing 4.8 percent) and education and health services (growing 3.1 percent).