by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
While information gathering is an ongoing process for the City’s Charter Revision Commission, it is beginning to focus more on discussing the changes it would like to see in the City’s rules of government.
Twelve of 14 commissioners submitted their list of issues they would like to see addressed by the commission to chair Wyman Duggan and they were presented at the group’s regularly scheduled meeting Thursday. The top five issues were Duval County School Board and independent authorities (JEA, Jacksonville Aviation Authority, Jacksonville Port Authority and JTA, etc.) with six votes each, and Office of General Counsel, appointment of constitutional officers and ethics officer/commission each received five votes.
“There are clear areas of consensus as to the issues we should talk about,” said Duggan. “From this list and other items we’ve talked about we know right off the bat those areas that we can start talking about given the limited time frame we have.”
The Charter Revision Commission consists of a group of 14 citizen volunteers who were chosen by former City Council President Ronnie Fussell and approved by the City Council. The City’s municipal code requires that the commission be formed every 10 years to review the City’s Charter. The commission has until February to submit recommendations of changes to the Charter to the City Council.
Commissioners were given time to explain why they chose the issues on their lists.
“I did bring up the independent authorities, and I was focusing on one area. I see that the sheriff’s department and the fire department are utilizing the City motor pool, but JTA and JEA doesn’t,” said Geoff Youngblood. “Have they seen a potential cost savings, and are they required to use the City motor pool? I’d like to hear both sides of the story from those who use it and those who don’t.”
Commissioner Jeanne Miller explained why changes needed to be made at the Duval County School Board.
“My issues and concerns are based on a few things. One is a greater accountability and second is greater transparency,” said Miller. “I have the School Board on my list and my statements will probably be unpopular with some. I am very disappointed with our School Board and in the elected positions. I believe we have a lot of well intended people at our School Board and elected positions, unfortunately the outcomes of our School Boards and the outcomes of our children graduating are not good. We do not perform well throughout the state, we have a very low graduation rate and a very high dropout rate. That has a direct affect on crime, our quality of life and per capita income.”
Miller suggested looking at other communities to see how they turned their school system around. She was interested in discussing possibly appointing School Board members instead of electing them and whether the superintendent should be appointed, which it is now, or elected.
Commissioner Martha Barrett, a former School Board member and current School Board candidate, wasn’t against looking at the School Board, but wanted to make sure the commission understood the constraints that schools are operating under.
“We need to understand budget,” said Barrett. “We need to understand that only about $200,000 of the $1.6 million budget is not going to pay for the state’s unfunded mandates.”
Commissioner Gary Oliveras listed the ethics office as an issue he would like to see discussed.
“I think the Ethics Commission is something the community wants to see strengthened,” said Oliveras. “As a police officer, all you have when you go to a house to talk to people is your integrity, and if you don’t have that, you aren’t going to be able to do your job. Citizens want to trust the people who work for the government, and I think it’s appropriate for the City to have an ethics officer or Ethics Commission where citizens can come and say, ‘This doesn’t look right.’”
The Ethics Commission is tentatively scheduled to speak to the commission at its Sept. 24 meeting. The next meeting of the commission is Sept. 10.
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