by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
City Council Auditor Kirk Sherman isn’t looking to reprise slasher Freddy Kruger. And, Council members Jack Webb, Stephen Joost and Mia Jones aren’t looking for bit parts in the next B-rated chop-‘em-up.
But, together the four are in the process of splicing “Nightmare on Duval Street,” as they dissect the City’s nearly $960 million budget line by line by line. The goal is to find a few dollars here and a few dollars there that can be dropped from the current budget and saved for next year as Mayor John Peyton starts formulating the 2008-09 budget.
Last week, the group that comprises an ad hoc committee charged to study the 2 percent of the budget — or $4.8 million — the Council put “below the line” met for the second time. Overall, a group of more than 20 sat in while Sherman, Webb, Joost and Jones played give and take with various City departments, which were all bent on keeping their budgets intact.
“It went very well,” said Webb, a first-year Council member. “We are getting an understanding of what the different cost centers are. We are getting feedback from departments on ways to realize cost savings.”
Some savings were discovered last week. However, according to Sherman, department heads have been successful in having about $1.3 million “cleared and refunded” so far. That’s not to say everyone will operate with a fully funded budget this year. Sherman said the committee found several ways to save money and even a few expenditures that simply didn’t make sense.
For example, in the City’s Public Works Department, the committee found about $100,000 in questionable expenses that will not be refunded. Those include funds for a data collection contact that isn’t being used, money for right-of-way maintenance, an isokinetic exam for potential employees that isn’t being used anymore and a management contract for the Ed Ball Building, which the City has owned for a couple of years.
“We may have needed it for about a year,” said Sherman, about the management contract. “Now that it’s up and running, why is it any different from the other buildings the City owns? Why is this one special?”
Sherman said the contract is for $48,369 annually.
Joost said the meeting was very productive and, like Sherman and Webb, found some of the Information Technology Department’s budget to be especially puzzling.
“What’s interesting is to see the City spend half a million dollars on IT supplemental software,” said Joost, adding it appears the IT department purchases off-the-shelf software, then has to hire someone to build the code that makes it usable.
“That money comes from the general fund. Why not capitalize the cost?” said Joost, adding the amount is just a fraction of the overall budget, but “every little bit helps.
“This is proving to be educational. When you are talking an over $2 billion budget, when you include JEA, you are going to find things.”
Joost said he hasn’t run across a “what the...” item yet during the committee meetings. That came about a month ago.
“My ‘what in the world?’ item was the security door for the City Council offices,” said Joost, referring to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office proposed $12,000 security door. “This (the committee) is helping me, a first-time Council member, to show me how government works. Kirk has broken down every little item.”
The analyzing continues next week. The committee meets March 18 and April 1 at 3 p.m. in Committee Room A at City Hall. The meetings are open to the public.