by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
If you have heard Mayor John Peyton’s “Fix it Now” spiel more than two or three times, you could probably stand in for him the next time.
There’s the slick PowerPoint presentation that includes the current budget problems and the shortfall the city is facing if his proposed millage rate increase isn’t approved by City Council. There is Peyton’s three-pronged approach to addressing the problem and the pie charts and graphs that demonstrate how the city got to this point and how it compares to other cities across the state — especially in what’s spent per capita on police, fire and rescue and the parks system.
Then, the questions and answers begin and this is where Peyton the pitchman seems to morph into Peyton the citizen and Peyton the protector of his 7,000 employees.
Monday at the Main Library, Peyton hosted another in a series of town hall meetings. The noon event encouraged people to bring their lunch and a handful of the 40 or so that attended did. Others just sat and listened. Some took notes from start to finish and the crowd was a cross-section of people indicative of the population — about 50-50 male to female with a decent racial mix.
The root of “Fix it Now” is a millage rate increase that Peyton says will take the rate back to where it was a couple of years ago. It’ll mean about $97 a year for the average homeowner and there are several exemptions. Still, it’s a tax increase — one that City Council may or may not approve tonight — and any proposed tax increase is going to spur emotion. Those in favor see it as another cost of living and ask if other means of operating on less revenue have been explored.
“Everyone’s list (of cuts) will be different because everyone’s priorities are different,” said Peyton, as he explained the role the City’s Rape Crisis Center plays. “There are things government supports you will never know about unless something terrible happens to you.”
Throughout the process Peyton stresses the “untouchables” — those services and costs that are unavoidable such as police and fire protection and the city’s pension plans. He doesn’t want to reduce fire rescue response time and he doesn’t want Jacksonville to continue to be known as the murder capital of the state. But, when the topic of pensions comes up, a new side of Peyton has emerged. He’s hard-line, he’s adamant and he’s determined to make a stand at the negotiating table.
“Tuesday is a big day,” he said. “This is not pain free and there isn’t a speedy way out of this.”
One resident who attended Monday’s meeting said she was frustrated. She grew up here but is “ready to leave.” She has a 7 year-old daughter and doesn’t understand why she has to drive to Orlando to visit what she calls a “decent” science center or Tampa to see a “decent” aquarium.
Peyton, the father, sympathizes. He also explained unless the City can afford the basic services, it’ll never afford the perks.
The town hall meetings can also provide an opportunity to help a citizen nearly immediately. One resident talked at length about a water problem in his neighborhood. At one point, the conversation turned testy. Peyton vowed to talk one-on-one after the meeting. But, he went one better and had JEA officials on hand within minutes to address the citizen’s concerns.
“I like hearing from the citizens. I know government can do better,” he said after the meeting. “If they give me a specific example of how to fix something, I can go to town on that.”
Peyton may have swayed a few people Monday at the library and he urges those who attend the meetings to contact their Council members. Still, he needs 10 votes tonight, enough to approve a higher millage rate and assure roads get paved, fires get put out, there are police to respond to crime and libraries stay open.
“I’m optimistic,” he said.
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