by David Chapman
Staff Writer
The dust might be settled on Jacksonville Community Council’s “Our Money, Our City: Financing Jacksonville’s Future” study, but it’s now time for action on implementing suggestions and finding solutions to the problems found in the much referenced work.
Study Chair J.F. Bryan IV recently announced the creation of four subcommittees to tackle the four main individual issues presented by the study, with budget sustainability, public trust, community vision and City pension plans at the forefront.
The subcommittees began meeting this week, including the group charged with looking at the issue of budget sustainability Wednesday, to begin the two-year task.
City Chief Financial Officer Mickey Miller and Chief of Research Jeff Clements provided the information to the group of more than a dozen on the financial situation the City is in moving forward as well as a Council time table on the budget, respectively, during the initial meeting that served as more than an educational opportunity to the group.
While the group can’t really do much to shape the current budget, said Subcommittee Chair John Anderson, it was important to get everyone in the group on equal footing before delving into detail.
“It was satisfactory,” said Anderson. “I was very impressed with the turnout and the initial discussion.”
During his presentation, Miller said he expected one or two more years of rolled back millage rates due to declining property values, with reduced levels of construction also playing a role. Such rolled back rates to keep up with the prior year’s figure would likely result in “treading water or falling behind” on the budget issue without other revenue sources. Additionally, Anderson said that the group will have to see how potential lowered values of commercial property will affect the millage rate, as many officials predict values will fall.
None of the annual study’s recommendations on creating new revenue (with the exception of a proposed millage increase) were in the mayor’s proposal, said Miller when asked by subcommittee member Jean Pyle, but cuts were.
“It wasn’t the right time to talk about that,” said Miller, who referenced earlier implemented fees as part of the reason. Such fees have been necessary to compensate for shortfalls.
Pyle then suggested the idea of a potential review by the City Auditor on such revenue generating items in off budget cycles.
While the group — along with the three other subcommittees — will have to take a wait-and-see approach as to how the current budget process turns out, the work begins now said Anderson.
A current problem, its one that will stretch beyond just this budget cycle — meaning the work and effort of such subcommittees is all that more important.
“This should transcend elections and turnover,” said Anderson. “This is a community-wide issue.”
The next step, suggested JCCI Program Director Steve Rankin, could be for the group to take 4-5 activities — such as speaking with elected officials and upcoming mayoral candidates on the topic — and actively pursue them.
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