by David Chapman
Staff Writer
Beginning July 1, new City employees will be required to live in Duval County.
City Council passed an amended version of the twice-postponed “live here, work here” bill Tuesday night, clearing one of two items remaining from the June 28 Council agenda. The measure passed 12-7, with Council members Richard Clark, John Crescimbeni, Kim Daniels, Bill Gulliford, Don Redman, Matt Schellenberg and Council President Stephen Joost opposing it.
The other postponed measure, pension reform for police and fire members, was again delayed for two weeks and will be taken up at the Aug. 23 Council meeting.
Council members attended a pension workshop Monday and Joost said he wanted to allow all members time to have any questions answered before they voted.
In its original form, the local employment bill, sponsored by Council member Reggie Brown, would have required all new employees hired after Oct. 1 as well as board and commission members and mayoral appointees to live within Duval County.
Brown advocated for the change to keep tax dollars provided to City employees through the payroll in Duval County.
Floor amendments offered by Council member Lori Boyer slightly altered the bill.
The three amendments made the bill subject to collective bargaining, pushed the date back from the originally proposed Oct. 1 to July 1 and also eliminated provisions regarding nonpaid board and commission members and mayoral appointees.
The first two changes caused little debate but the amendment applying to eliminating nonpaid appointees sparked discussion to the point that each amendment was separately voted upon.
The amendment passed with an 11-8 vote.
The date-of-enforcement change came after Brown’s meetings with the mayor’s staff on the issue. Mayor Alvin Brown supports the measure, Council liaison Jessica Deal told Council, but the change from October to July was needed to assist in the mayoral transition over the next year.
Council member Reggie Brown said during the meeting he believed the measure would help Jacksonville and was not an attack on its neighboring counties.
In other news from Tuesday’s Council meeting:
• Council also postponed a vote on a waiver for an actuarial study to determine the actual costs of pension contributions. The study is required annually by City charter but only once every three years by state statute.
If done this year, the findings could result in a budget gap of about $6 million in the 2011-12 budget. Waiver proponents believe the economy and overall market will improve by next year, when the study must be done if not done this year, while critics argue that the future market performance is uncertain.
The postponement passed 18-1, with Clark, who chairs the Finance Committee, opposing. The Finance Committee will begin all-day budget sessions Thursday.
• The scheduled public hearing on a measure affecting Jacksonville Area Legal Aid funding drew the most speakers, all in opposition. The measure, sponsored by Clark, would repeal a $50 court fee assessed on certain lawbreakers, with the money marked for funding legal aid.
The original funding bill passed June 28. Former Council member Glorious Johnson and Jacksonville Area Legal Aid Executive Director Michael Figgins were two of the speakers.
• Drawing criticism was a measure to expand an Enterprise Zone. One speaker called it “gerrymandering 201.”
Council member John Crescimbeni said he has unanswered questions and was one of the four members who opposed it. It passed 14-4 with Council members Jim Love, Brown, Crescimbeni and Daniels opposing it.
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