by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
A months-long dispute may be settled during a near-future meeting between JTA officials and Council Auditor Kirk Sherman.
The disagreement centers on changes JTA intends to make to its charter during the current legislative session and Sherman’s assertion that JTA should have at least formally discussed those changes with City leaders.
Originally, Sherman believed JTA should have proposed the changes through a J-bill — a piece of legislation sponsored by a member of the Duval Delegation, approved by the Delegation as a whole and taken to Tallahassee for statewide approval. While Sherman has backed off to an extent on that belief, he still maintains that JTA should have, as a courtesy, communicated its intentions to City officials.
Much of Sherman’s assertion rests on the fact JTA, while an independent agency, receives more than half of its $200 million budget from the City.
“At the end of it all, we should be informed,” said Sherman. “They are part of the budget, get millions from the Better Jacksonville Plan and funding for mass transit. We are all in this together. We need to clarify this relationship between us and them.”
JTA spokesman Mike Miller explained that JTA’s original charter was approved by the State as were any subsequent changes.
“This is not a question of formality, it’s a question of protocol,” said Miller. “Our statutes were established by state statute and that goes back to the days when we were the Jacksonville Expressway Authority. We changed the statute to become JTA. We have been told by the Legislature and our attorney that any time we want to make changes we have to introduce them as an amendment to the general bill process and not through a J-Bill.”
Miller said State Rep. Audrey Gibson and State Sen. Jim King are sponsoring a bill. While JTA intends to alter its informational process in the future, Miller said time is of the essence. He said JTA Executive Director Mike Blaylock has apologized for the apparent lack of communication, but added at this point in time JTA’s goal is to have the charter changes approved.
“At the end of the day, it is absolutely necessary to get this done as quickly as possible. We have a 60-day window,” said Miller of the length of the current legislative session.
He also said the changes are administrative and will “not have an impact on our relationship with the City or any other government entity.”
Miller did say one change will open the door for JTA to establish public/private partnerships that will help JTA build transportation centers in the future.
Sherman said he and staff members have met with JTA recently and have “made considerable progress” revising language within the charter changes. Sherman said JTA wanted to remove any requirements that its budget go before Council. However, that language is back in the charter. Still, there are differences of opinion.
“There are several basic issues we don’t see eye to eye on and probably won’t,” said Sherman. “My job is done at the moment.”
Sherman said he expects to meet one more time within the next week or so on the issue.