by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Despite the fact nearly $31 million was found to fund the Jacksonville Journey, Mayor John Peyton’s multifaceted anticrime initiative, the City began the 2008-09 fiscal year with a balanced budget, something that’s required, but difficult to attain in today’s economy.
According to a report released by the Council Auditor’s Office, the City’s general employee cap for the year grew by 85 positions, up from 7,934 in fiscal year 2007-08 to 8,019 this year. Through attrition and the elimination of some positions, the City workforce dropped by over 100 positions. However, the new positions created by the Journey — of which a vast majority were in public safety — caused an increase in the total number of City employees.
“This was largely attributed to the additional 80 police officers, 80 corrections officers and 38 emergency communication officers related to Jacksonville Journey, 15 new firefighter positions for Ladder 31, which were then partially offset by the elimination of 132 positions, most of which were vacant,” said Council Auditor Kirk Sherman in the report. “For those positions that were filled, most employees were placed within other departments within the City where staffing shortages were noted.”
Some of the budget highlights from the fiscal year include:
• The Jacksonville Journey was funded at $30,998,395.
• The Jacksonville Children’s Commission Review Committee was given new funding for the Jacksonville Journey programs. City Council and Peyton formed a review committee to analyze the Children’s Commission’s mission and funding structure to determine what changes should be made.
• Approved $86.5 million for debt proceeds which were used to fund Capital Improvement Projects. This included $2 million for cost overruns related to the renovations by the Police and Fire Pension Fund of the Haverty’s Building.
• Approved a Capital Improvement Program with $16.35 million for stormwater projects.
• Thanks to the Council Finance Committee’s detailed review of the budget, approximately $ 3 million in overall savings was realized.
• The funding of local non-profit organizations through the Public Service Grant Council totaled $2.4 million, nearly the same as the 2007-08 fiscal year.
• Until the revisions to a landfill contract can be worked out through Ordinance 2008-538, $2 million was put below the line in the Public Works budget.
During the hearings of the ad hoc budget committee last spring headed by Council members Stephen Joost and Jack Webb and then-Council member Mia Jones, one of the big issues was City departments leaving positions vacant — yet funded — for long periods of time in an effort to use those funds to pay for operating expenses. That issue was addressed through an Executive Order approved by Peyton.
That executive order “will not permit the transfer of funds from any salary and benefits line to an operating expense or capital line,” according to the report. “This will limit departments from leaving positions vacant in order to spend the funds on other items.”
The report also cited three areas for improvement. The first suggests assuring that the City’s independent agencies — JEA, JTA, the Jacksonville Aviation Authority and the Jacksonville Port Authority — all submit budgets that contain schedules for their proposed Capital Improvement Programs as well as funding sources.
“No item should be placed in the CIP without an identified funding source within either the mayor’s proposed budget or the applicable independent authority’s budget,” said Sherman in the report.
The budget review also found discrepancies in how the independent authorities handled transfers between themselves and the City. Sherman’s office suggests that the mayor’s office and agencies submit final budgets that reflect all transfers of funds.
“Additionally, it may beneficial for the Mayor’s Budget Review Committee to include the independent authorities in their review along with all the City departments, which has been done in prior years,” noted Sherman in the report.
Finally, a section of the City’s Municipal Code requires the mayor to submit a “five-year projection of forecasted General Fund revenues and expenditures” complete with comments on “anticipated future problems and opportunities facing the City that surface from these projections.” According to Sherman’s report, this report is especially important given the fluctuating property tax base and the financial restrictions being placed on the City by State leaders in Tallahassee.
356-2466