by David Chapman
Staff Writer
Tough decisions made in hurried timeframes wasn’t an equation that appealed to City Council members analyzing the budget last fiscal year. With the situation now in the books, several Council members are advocating a change in the budget timeline by moving the process ahead by months, which could help solve making such hurried decisions on balancing the 2010-11 budget.
Council member Kevin Hyde and Council Vice President Jack Webb met Wednesday to discuss the topic through an Ordinance Code amendment originally introduced by Council members John Crescimbeni and Webb. The amendment, 2009-701, would require a tentative general government budget to be submitted to Council by May 1 and require Council to act on it by June 30. During the last fiscal year, Mayor John Peyton officially submitted his budget, which included a millage rate increase, to Council during a presentation July 13. That gave Council roughly two weeks to review the budget with the increase, as state law required the rate set by the end of July.
Combined with the flurry of special budget meetings throughout August and September, the budget was agreed upon in mid-September, a couple weeks before the start of the new fiscal year Oct. 1.
“We went through a difficult budget process,” said Hyde during the meeting. “We’re always looking for improvement.”
Hyde and Webb weren’t alone in the discussion, as members of the Jacksonville Community Council Inc. also presented information to support the longer budget review, as it could result in their effort to have more public input on the process during, instead of after decisions are made.
“The idea of allowing more time, I think with some confidence that would be welcomed,” said JCCI Executive Director Skip Cramer. “From a JCCI standpoint, we’re delighted this conversation is going on.”
Engaging the public in an open budget process would create a greater sense of public trust, one of the main goals of the organization’s latest and often-referenced “Our Money, Our City: Financing Jacksonville’s Future,” study. Four implementation task forces were formed following its release, with one focused on the long-term vision issue and chaired by Jack Diamond, who also attended the Wednesday discussion.
“The whole idea of the conversation is excellent,” said Diamond.
Hyde was receptive to the idea of public input, but the question of how to receive it and when specific recommendations could be made was also a point of question.
He also discussed approaching the situation to create a long-term vision, something with which Webb agreed.
Transparency and accountability with such a long-term vision is important, said Bill Sulzbacher, who attended with the JCCI members.
“People have to understand the vision,” said Sulzbacher. “Is this the right way to do it?”
There will be future discussions on the issue, including one today when Hyde meets with the JCCI long-term vision task force to hear some of their ideas on the ordinance and process.
“It’s an opportunity for this group to share some of its ideas on the process, to date,” said Steve Rankin, JCCI program director.
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